Hello
A few ringing recoveries today, sadly of dead or dying birds:-
1. A young male Blackbird was ringed at Harrington Airfield on 3rd November 2017 and encountered there again on the 15th of that month and again on 3rd May 2018. The remains of an adult male Blackbird were found at Harrington Airfield yesterday minus the legs and today Matt Care found the legs bearing the ring of this bird also at Harrington Airfield. All the indications are that it had been predated and the bill and legs isolated from the fleshy body of the bird. With the initial ringing date in November it wouldn't be unreasonable to think this bird was a migrant but the evidence points to a resident and breeding bird on-site that probably didn't quite make three years of age. This is the second adult male Blackbird to be found predated here within the last two weeks;
2. A Woodpigeon was caught and ringed at Hanging Houghton on 1st September 2019 and found in the village with a head injury three days ago and subsequently died, 240 days after ringing. It's unlikely that this bird had traveled very far between these dates and like many of it's kind was probably able to forage and find enough food within the local parish;
3. A first year Robin was ringed at Greens Norton way back on 3rd December 2016 and was taken by a cat in the same village just two days ago, some 1243 days after the initial ringing date. At least this bird had probably contributed to the local Robin breeding success during the intervening three breeding seasons before it's demise - although it wasn't officially encountered between the two dates;
4. A juvenile Starling was caught and ringed at Linford Lakes on 26th May 2019 and found dead in Milton Keynes on or about 25th April this year, 335 days later. The cause of death is not known and it's likely that this young bird spent much of it's short life in the Milton Keynes/South Northants area.
I counted up the species of birds recorded from our small rural garden during the month of April and the total came to 66 with probably the best two species being Bar-tailed Godwit and Curlew as fly-overs. Despite a reasonable haul we missed many relatively common species which included Jay, Common Gull, Siskin, Redpoll, Brambling, Lesser Whitethroat, Cuckoo, Swift, Hobby, Grey Wagtail and several others. The month of May is likely to be another lock-down month so the new list has begun but is at a very modest, low level after Day 1!
Birds seen today by local birders included two Wheatears still at Harrington Airfield this morning and the rare county sight of a first year Gannet in flight over Great Brington and then traversing over the village of East Haddon! Now that would be a great 'seen from the garden' bird in land-locked Northamptonshire (this has been achieved by birders in previous years)!
A Barn Owl continues to hunt around the village of Scaldwell in the daytime delighting the local residents.
Regards
Neil M
A few ringing recoveries today, sadly of dead or dying birds:-
1. A young male Blackbird was ringed at Harrington Airfield on 3rd November 2017 and encountered there again on the 15th of that month and again on 3rd May 2018. The remains of an adult male Blackbird were found at Harrington Airfield yesterday minus the legs and today Matt Care found the legs bearing the ring of this bird also at Harrington Airfield. All the indications are that it had been predated and the bill and legs isolated from the fleshy body of the bird. With the initial ringing date in November it wouldn't be unreasonable to think this bird was a migrant but the evidence points to a resident and breeding bird on-site that probably didn't quite make three years of age. This is the second adult male Blackbird to be found predated here within the last two weeks;
2. A Woodpigeon was caught and ringed at Hanging Houghton on 1st September 2019 and found in the village with a head injury three days ago and subsequently died, 240 days after ringing. It's unlikely that this bird had traveled very far between these dates and like many of it's kind was probably able to forage and find enough food within the local parish;
3. A first year Robin was ringed at Greens Norton way back on 3rd December 2016 and was taken by a cat in the same village just two days ago, some 1243 days after the initial ringing date. At least this bird had probably contributed to the local Robin breeding success during the intervening three breeding seasons before it's demise - although it wasn't officially encountered between the two dates;
4. A juvenile Starling was caught and ringed at Linford Lakes on 26th May 2019 and found dead in Milton Keynes on or about 25th April this year, 335 days later. The cause of death is not known and it's likely that this young bird spent much of it's short life in the Milton Keynes/South Northants area.
I counted up the species of birds recorded from our small rural garden during the month of April and the total came to 66 with probably the best two species being Bar-tailed Godwit and Curlew as fly-overs. Despite a reasonable haul we missed many relatively common species which included Jay, Common Gull, Siskin, Redpoll, Brambling, Lesser Whitethroat, Cuckoo, Swift, Hobby, Grey Wagtail and several others. The month of May is likely to be another lock-down month so the new list has begun but is at a very modest, low level after Day 1!
Birds seen today by local birders included two Wheatears still at Harrington Airfield this morning and the rare county sight of a first year Gannet in flight over Great Brington and then traversing over the village of East Haddon! Now that would be a great 'seen from the garden' bird in land-locked Northamptonshire (this has been achieved by birders in previous years)!
A Barn Owl continues to hunt around the village of Scaldwell in the daytime delighting the local residents.
Regards
Neil M
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| Recently-fledged and very cute Collared Doves courtesy of John Tilly. |
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| Male Greenland Wheatear at Harrington Airfield today courtesy of David Arden. |
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| Juvenile Gannet. Maybe the bird in the county today looked a little like this! |
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| Barn Owl. |
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