NRG in action

Hello

Members of the Northants Ringing Group (NRG) were divided up and busy today at three sites.  John Woollett and Chris Payne were busy catching good numbers of birds at Stortons Gravel Pits, amounting to 69 birds in all which included plenty of warblers such as Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Cetti's Warbler, all with fledged young.  The rather still and sultry conditions provided an ideal opportunity to use mist-nets at this sometimes breezy location.

In the meantime a gaggle of NRG members and supporters met at the Hanson Environment Study Centre, just over the border at Great Linford and near to Newport Pagnell.  This was in support of an open day, and we ran a Bird Ringing Demonstration near to the old flooded gravel pits.  Thirty-nine birds were processed which included seven Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Marsh Tit, a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff.  About forty members of the public spent much of the morning with us as we explained the process and what ringing seeks to achieve.  Birds noted here included several Little Egrets, Kingfisher, Water Rail and Cetti's Warbler.

Finally at Pitsford Reservoir, Dave Francis and Lynne Barnett used a boat to visit the tern rafts in the Scaldwell Bay to ring the very first of the young Common Terns.  A Pied Wagtail nest with eggs was discovered on one of the rafts and two of the young Oystercatchers remain.  A Black-headed Gull nest with a single egg was found nestled against a willow stump close to the Bird Club hide.

Regards

Neil M

Ringing Demo at the HESC

Jacob Spinks and
Kenny Cramer processing
a Great Spotted Woodpecker

Common Tern chicks
Pitsford Res.  

Common Tern chicks
capable of hiding very
well amongst the spartan
vegetation on the tern rafts

Black-headed Gull nest
Pitsford Res

Pictures from the HESC courtesy
of Nick Wood and images from
Pitsford courtesy of Lynne Barnett.