Moore Nature Reserve -Saturday 5th December- a crow day....

I arrived at 06.15hrs to be greeted by the chorus of Jackdaws and Rooks arising from their overnight roost in the wood. Wirrals answer to Batman & Robin or should it be Compo & Clegg?? Steve and Kenny arrived not long after.
First round produced a Magpie and the second a Jay, Kenny too scared to ring either bird, prefering to ring the more gentle Long Tailed Tits.
Overhead flew a lone Whooper Swan heading East and Redwings were moving around the reserve all morning.

Ringing totals

MAGPIE -1
JAY -1
LONG TAILED TIT -2 (2)
COAL TIT -(1)
GREAT TIT -2 (1)
LESSER REDPOLL -3

TOTAL = 9 (4)

Back home in Halewood a Song Thrush has now joined Mistle Thrush in full song.

AEH;KMC;SB.

Moore Nature Reserve - 21-11-09 & 28-11-09

21-11-09

COAL TIT - 1
GREAT TIT - 2
BLUE TIT - 1
LONG TAILED TIT - 1
ROBIN - 1
LESSER REDPOLL - 10
CHAFFINCH - 2
TOTAL = 18 NEW

28-11-09

DUNNOCK - 3
BLACKBIRD -1
TOTAL = 4 NEW

Sightings -28-11-09

SHOVELER-10
TEAL-20
PINK FOOTED GOOSE-300 FLYING SOUTH EAST
LESSER REDPOLL -10
SISKIN-2

The feeding station is now up and running and a duck trap is currently being baited so we should hopefully add some waterfowl to the ringing totals.

AEH

Moore Nature Reserve - Nov update...

The weather hasn't been too kind to enable netting as of late, so time has been spent opening up a new feeding station in the paddocks.
Birds of note include Woodcock,x1 Willow Tit, male Peregrine,Kingfisher, x40 Goldfinch,x35 Chaffinch, x20 Redpoll and x10 Siskin.
Waterfowl included x6 Wigeon, x40 Teal, x6 Shoveler, x1 Little Grebe and 16 Moorhen.
Mistle Thrush singing this afternoon in my garden in Halewood.

AEH

Moore Nature Reserve - Saturday 7th November 2009

Ringing results for Saturday 7th Nov 09

Lesser Redpoll -4 (inc an Adult Male in full breeding plumage)
Greenfinch -3
Long Tailed Tit -1 (1)

Sightings -

Shoveler - 10
Green Sandpiper -1
Meadow Pipit -20
Sparrowhawk -2
Goldfinch -40
Bullfinch -1
Redpoll - 20
Siskin -10
Moorhen -18

AEH

Saturday 17th October-Moore Nature Reserve & Woolston Results

Moore Nature Reserve

Hello Everyone,

Migration Watch

Time -07.00hrs -12.30hrs, cloud 6/8, wind -zero,

BRAMBLING-2
SISKIN-18
CHAFFINCH-22
SKYLARK-13
GREY WAGTAIL-7
BLACKBIRD-8
SONG THRUSH-4
REDWING-200
FIELDFARE-40
REED BUNTING-8
GREENFINCH-46
REDPOLL-33
GOLDFINCH-26
STARLING-160
WOODPIEGON-3000 (08.00-10.00hrs then small parties of 5-10)
CURLEW-2

Ringing Results - (new)

KINGFISHER-1
GOLDCREST-1
GREENFINCH-25
BLACKBIRD-1
WREN-2
LONG TAILED TIT-1
BLUE TIT-1
GREAT TIT-1

TOTAL-33

AEH


Woolston Eyes Ringing Results -Dave Riley and team No1 bed;
Keiran Foster and team No3 bed

RINGING OCTOBER 16/17 2009

Dave Riley was joined on No1 bed, by Stephen Menzie and Leah Williams on the Friday morning, with John Blundell and Tony Davis coming down in the afternoon. 50 birds were caught then, with a retrap Sparrowhawk and new Green Woodpecker, Coal Tit and Lesser Redpoll proving to be the highlights. A further 68 birds were caught on the Saturday morning when DR, JB, TD and SM were joined by Louise Soanes. Unusual birds included their fifth Kingfisher of the year, along with a retrap Reed Warbler, having a fat score of 4 and weighing 13.1 grams, 2 Treecreepers, 46 Greenfinches (highest total for a couple of years), 7 Lesser Redpolls and a Siskin. Altogether, 25 species of bird were caught, an extremely high total for October.

The No3 bed team were also out on the Saturday morning , catching 97 birds, 57 new, with a 3 male Cetti's Warbler the highlight (Cetti's Warblers were also reported at Leighton Moss and Conway on the same day), although the most remarkable feature was the 14 new Reed Buntings caught and must have been part of an influx of birds moving on to the bed. 2 Redwings were the first of the year, part of a large passage of birds and 2 Lesser Redpolls were noteworthy.

Sightings included: No1 bed 16/10/2009: 2 Wigeon on the east pool, 2 Green Sandpipers, 10 Snipe, 2 Tawny Owls and a Water Rail. Visible passage included 1 Skylark, 15 Meadow Pipits, 1 Grey Wagtail, 20 Redwings, 10 Goldfinch, 1 Siskin and 8 Lesser Redpolls

No1 bed 17/10/2009: 1 Green Sandpiper, 5 Snipe, 2 Water rails, 22 Skylarks, 35 Meadow Pipits, 30 Fieldfare, 500 Redwings, 21 Siskin and 15 Lesser Redpolls.

No3 bed 17/10/2009: 1 Coal Tit over the car park, 1 Siskin and large numbers of Redwings.

Moore Nature Reserve Ringing Results Friday 18th/Saturday 19th September 2009

Friday 18th
With the help of Mike Mullholland x4 nets (x3 60ft x1 30ft) were erected in the evening.

Due to the light fading only x3 birds were captured - (NEW)

ROBIN -2
REED WARBLER -1

Sightings included - Tawny Owl - 1; Little Egret -1; Green Sandpiper -1.

It was then off to Woolston Eyes for the Hog Roast on No1 bed!

Saturday 19th

Conditions were excellent and the nets were open by 06.30hrs, again I was joined by Mike.

Ringing Totals - retraps in ( )

BLACKCAP -1
BLUE TIT -9 (2)
CHAFFINCH -3
CHIFFCHAFF -2
COAL TIT -1
GOLDCREST-1
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER -1
GREAT TIT -7
GREENFINCH -6
LONG TAILED TIT -9 (11)
REED BUNTING -2
REED WARBLER -2 (1)
WREN -2

TOTAL - 18TH/19TH = 49 NEW; 14 RETRAP

Sightings -

GREENSHANK-1; GREEN SANDPIPER-1; WOOD SANDPIPER-1; MEADOW PIPIT-40; BUZZARD-4; NUTHATCH-1;
CHIFFCHAFF-4; SWALLOW-60; GREAT SPOT WOOD-4; BLACKCAP-2; GREY WAGTAIL-3; SISKIN-5; CHAFFINCH-20;
GREENFINCH-20; REED WARBLER -4; SONG THRUSH -2 (HIGH OVERHEAD).
Butterflies - Small Tortoiseshell-1; Large White -1.


Dave's results from Woolston -

Ringing took place on No1 bed on both the Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, with 134 new birds ringed, including an amazing 46 Chiffchaffs along with smaller numbers of other warblers and 11 Meadow Pipits.

The No3 bed team just ringed on the Saturday morning, ringing 45 new birds including 9 Reed warblers, 8 Blackcaps, 5 Chiffchaffs and a single Sedge Warbler.

Sightings included three early(ish) Redwing and three Snipe on No1 bed, while No3 had sightings of three separate Marsh Harriers, one Snipe, 1 Tawny Owl, 1 Redpoll and a Grey Wagtail.

Friday 11th/Saturday 12th September 2009 - moving on...

I have now upped sticks and moved to Ringing Pastures new - Moore Nature Reserve, just down the Ship Canal from Woolston, with kind permission of the WRG Wardens Brian and Paul.
Dave and co continue the good work on No1 bed and i will continue to keep you all updated on results from both Woolston and Moore.
Results from my first session are listed below..

Friday 11th -

Ringing Totals -

CHIFFCHAFF -1
LONG TAILED TIT -11
BLUE TIT -6
GREAT TIT -3

TOTAL = 21 NEW

Sightings - Green Sandpiper -1; Buzzard -2.

Saturday 12th- 3 nets operated (x2 60ft x1 30ft)

Ringing Totals -

CHAFFINCH -2
GREENFINCH -9
LONG TAILED TIT -12 (1 RETRAP)
BLUE TIT -5 (1 CONTROL)
GREAT TIT -2
REED WARBLER -1
BLACKCAP -1
REED BUNTING -1
ROBIN -1
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER -1

TOTAL = 35 NEW (1 CONTROL, 1 RETRAP)

Sightings - Green Sandpiper -2; Buzzard -8; Peregrine -1; Teal - 6; Nuthatch -1; Gspot Woodpecker - 3;
Chaffinch - 20; Greenfinch - 30; Grey Wagtail -6; Meadow Pipit -20; Curlew -1; Sparrowhawk -1; Kestrel -1;
Siskin -1; Chiffchaff - 5; Jay -12.

AEH

Results from Woolston courtesy of Dave Riley -

Dave Riley was joined by Phil Guest, Steve Menzie and Chris Bridge for the Friday afternoon session on No1, catching 56 birds (42 new), including the fifth and sixth Nuthatches to be ringed at the Eyes, other unusual birds for the afternoon included Treecreeper, Sparrowhawk and three Coal Tits (two new). For the Saturday session, Phil and Dave were joined by Tony Davis and John Blundell, catching 88 birds, including good numbers of Chiffchaffs, Reed Warblers and Blackcaps, along with solitary Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler and Whitethroat.

Michael Miles spent the majority of Friday on No3 bed, catching 101 birds (71 new) including the bed's first Goldfinch to be ringed this year, while being joined by Kieran Foster, Hugh Pulsford and Margaret Rawlings for the Saturday morning session when a further 133 birds (111 new) were caught. Again, good numbers of Reed Warblers (18) and Blackcaps (44) were ringed, although possibly the most noteworthy catch was 14 new Dunnock, 10 of which came from the same 18m net.

No unusual sightings were noted