Mark Grantham
Well-known member
Pound for pound, what about Blue Tit?
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Ringer in training (?!) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Hotspur
- Start date
tomjenner
Well-known member
I think that I would have to agree with Ade that puffins are about the worse to handle. Their claws are like fish hooks and they scrabble with their feet, which sets them deep down to the bone. All the while, that huge bill is biting you. I found that the only way to extract them from mist and fleg nets was to first wrap the feet in a bird bag and then approach it one weapon at a time.
Mind you, I'm glad there aren't any Puffin-sized Blue Tits.
Tom
Mind you, I'm glad there aren't any Puffin-sized Blue Tits.
Tom
Ausable Bird Observatory
Registered Member
Great Grey Shrikes. I ringed my first when I was nine. And I knew all about it...fingers came off a little worse for wear!
But if we're going to talk claws.....then try two hundred swifts in one day!
Peter Fearon
But if we're going to talk claws.....then try two hundred swifts in one day!
Peter Fearon
Hotspur
James Spencer
Got my training permit a couple of months ago but due to my nuptials ringing has gone on the back burner. That all changed when me and my tutor went ringing on Flamboro head at a Linnet roost. Only 8 birds netted but I did my first extraction - a Linnet and processed 5 linnets and a Sedge Warbler. Magic to watch a decent roost though despite small returns. Good start.
Herring Gulls on a landfill site on a Saturday morning following Friday nights student excess must come close!
Great Tit & Blue Tit - Maxi peck & mini peck.
Mark Grantham
Well-known member
Good to see you've enjoyed your first session out James, and hopefully you'll be able to enjoy the east coast autumn. We had the pleasure of mist-netting some nice waders the other week on our ringing course at Gibraltar Point (both godwits, Curlew, Turnstone, Knot, Redshank, Dunlin), also ringing three Spot Flys, Redstart and Tree Pipit.
Autumn is here!
Mark Grantham
BTO Ringing Scheme
Autumn is here!
Mark Grantham
BTO Ringing Scheme
John Morgan
Well-known member
OK on the first two - I caught the Crane by throwing my hat over it! But I hadn't got the ring size needed for the Caper - anyway it seemed he was intent on ringing me so I backed off.
The nastiest by far was the Port Lincoln Parrot (so-called '28') - I'm told I was lucky it wasn't one of the Corella species. I got away without needing stitches, but it was touch-and-go and I bled for a good 15 minutes.
John Morgan
Well-known member
I think Hawfinch should win hands down, i got a finger missing to prove it
It would be nice to hear from people who regularly handle parrots. I have the impression after watching a pair of Gang-gang Cockatoos dismantle unripe cones of Monterey Pine that taking one's hand off at the wrist would not pose a problem for this species :C
KnockerNorton
Well-known member
there's plenty who are catching ring-necked parakeets around London. You usually need leather gauntlets to get them out of the net.
Corvids can be pretty nasty too - jays can bite your finger down to the bone.
Corvids can be pretty nasty too - jays can bite your finger down to the bone.
John Morgan
Well-known member
Only ever caught one RNP and had no problem as I had learned my lesson about extraction from the Port Lincoln. First grab the head and hold the bill. Then worry about the rest of the bird, but using just one hand.
Same thing for Jays, and especially for herons. Never let go of the bill.
Connor Rand
Norwich resident, Holme devotee
I started ringing training about a year ago at Home bird observatory in Norfolk. I really just dont like ringing Blue Tits, there vicious little things, and Swifts were rather painful as well! One of my favourite birds so far from a ringing perspective was last weeks Yellow-browed Warbler, and I really like Bramblings and Goldfinches!
Cheers,
Cheers,
Dimitris
Birdwatcher in Oz
I have been bitten by the following Parrots:
Eastern Rosella (wild & in the net & repeadedly through the bag, not funny)
Crimson Rosella (wild whild handfeeding it on our balcony)
Rainbow Lorikeet (one that strack our window. They are even worst than the Rosellas!)
Austr. King Parrot (while handfeeding it. Not that painful, but I think it wasn't trying for my finger...)
Budgie & Lovebirds (both captive with Lovebirds being the worst of course)
& finaly Captive Sulphur-crested Cockatoo...I'd hate to know what a wild one feels like).
Oh and so far i've been on three banding trips and am loving it!!
Honeyeaters have the most viscious claws. You won't believe it until you have one in the hand...They look so beautiful (and some cute) when they are not in your hand...
Cheers!
Dimitris
Eastern Rosella (wild & in the net & repeadedly through the bag, not funny)
Crimson Rosella (wild whild handfeeding it on our balcony)
Rainbow Lorikeet (one that strack our window. They are even worst than the Rosellas!)
Austr. King Parrot (while handfeeding it. Not that painful, but I think it wasn't trying for my finger...)
Budgie & Lovebirds (both captive with Lovebirds being the worst of course)
& finaly Captive Sulphur-crested Cockatoo...I'd hate to know what a wild one feels like).
Oh and so far i've been on three banding trips and am loving it!!
Honeyeaters have the most viscious claws. You won't believe it until you have one in the hand...They look so beautiful (and some cute) when they are not in your hand...
Cheers!
Dimitris
John Morgan
Well-known member
Do let us know if you get a Corella or a Gang-gang. If you are still able to use the keyboard, that is!
For those troublesome Honeyeaters, try the Scandinavian grip - bird on its back with the head pointing towards your wrist and neck held under the little finger ( best to use your right hand if you are right-handed or vice-versa if left-handed) The index and second fingers and thumb can then be used to hold onto the feet to prevent scrabbling. I always use this grip on woodpeckers and find it good for Blackbirds too as I have rather short fingers.
Signed the petition - hope it works.
tomjenner
Well-known member
One thing that I am always nervous of is catching bats. Occasionally, when the last round of the day catches a few extra birds, the bats are out before the last net is down. I have also occasionally flushed roosting bats from foliage that have gone into nets. Some of the ferocious beasts that I have come across here in Central America have terrifying sets of teeth. So far, I have always been able to avoid being bitten, but only because I handle them very carefully. The risk of rabies is also a good incentive to be careful.
Anyone had any nasty experiences catching bats?
Tom
Anyone had any nasty experiences catching bats?
Tom
Dimitris
Birdwatcher in Oz
Or I'll let you know if the bander who banded the bird is still in buisness.
(I'm still a trainee). The hand of the guy who bunded 2 (I repeat 2) Eastern Rosellas whas dripping with blood afterwards and I heard tales of nets cathcing 30 or so Rainbow Lorikeets. Aparently it was a nightmare, they didn't even bother banding the birds...they just untagled them and set them free...Thanks for the tip on the handling. I'll ask if anyone knows it on the next trip. (Hopefuly 17th of November...)
Cheers!
Dimitris
Oh and thanks for the petition.
Edit: I'll share a couple of pictures with you guyz.
Austr. Babblers are quicky becoming one of my favourite birds. My 2nd bird ever removed from the net was a Grey Crowned. If you are wondering if I got kicked, yes, I did but that didn't spoil the moment.
Anyone caught White-winged Choughs or Apostle Birds in the nets?...
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Conorbirda2
Well-known member
Just noticed this thread. I can lay claim to being the first to initiate ringing at Bishop Burton College!! I was there in 89/90 and again in 91/92/93 (or something like that!) and even reached the heights of Student Union President in my final year! I remember doing an interview on Calendar News about the first year of the Ornithology degree! Anyway, i arranged for my trainer to come up with the rest of the Doncaster Ringing group, sorted out the feeders, net rides etc. It was great, even ringed a Juv Tawny Owl. It was all spoilt by a fat arsed equestrain student, who on seeing the trapped 'baby jays' (blue tits!!!!!) cut about 20 birds out of the nets with a pair of scissors!! My trainer was well pissed off i can tell you.
We also did a bit of ringing in the Lower Derwent Valley, when i worked there for English Nature. Great fun wading chest deep at Wheldrake catching BH Gull chicks and tape luring Little Owls!!
We also did a bit of ringing in the Lower Derwent Valley, when i worked there for English Nature. Great fun wading chest deep at Wheldrake catching BH Gull chicks and tape luring Little Owls!!
Hotspur
James Spencer
The other day we had a 2nd cal male Sparrowhawk plus 1/4 of its breakfast of starling in the nets. Was extracted fine when my tutor gave me the bag and said here you go. Only my 7th bird ever processed! Was a bit big but managed to get it out the bag and into ringers grip but due to size i couldnt manouvre it well so i did what i could using a bird bag to cover its talons (worked a treat). I was having the wing length checked by my tutor so i didnt get it horribly wrong. He forgot about the bird bag on the feet and got an arm full of Sprawk talons. I spent the next 5 mins removing them from his arm!
KnockerNorton
Well-known member
with big stuff like that I find it useful to not take the whole bird out of the bag straight off, but get it in the ringer's grip inside the bag, head facing away, and then sit it on your knee and use your other had to get a leg out of the top of the bag. You also have the tail and wings available for ageing/sexing while the bird remains calm with its head in the bag. It allows you to get the ring on it at least, with little hassle, especially if there's just one of you. You can then peel the bag upwards towards the head and get a wing out for measuring, without actually having to get the whole flappy bird out of the bag - they're much calmer with the head covered, and can't see you to grab/peck you! You can then weight it, and then weigh the bag afterwards and subtract. So you need not get the whole bird out at all for basic processing. Better for you, less stressful for the bird.
