Sunday Pastimes

Sunday is a day for enjoyment. A day for relaxation. A day for pastimes. The Cardiff Ringers are no stranger to enjoyment and relaxation, especially the kind that is measured in pints. But this Sunday, The Ginger Fishermen found some new pastimes for us. A nice walk in the countryside followed by some tree climbing and three feathered pastimes were inducted in to the ringing scheme.

A pastime

Mike ringing a pastime.

A big thank you to the ringing demi-god that is the leaser of Ruffled Feathers for the opportunity.

A break from nappies (a poem by CRG)

A lovely way,

to start the day,

a break from nappies and milky sick,

to put up nets upon a stick.

Chiffs and willows taking flight,

lesser and common white.

time to go but I'm still happy,

I'm needed to change another nappy.

First Woodcock ringed in Cardiff?

Garth Mountain Woodcock # 1

Woodcock O'Clock

As the gentle folk of the UK battened down their hatches and settled into their favourite slouching positions in last nights' storm, two intrepid ecologists braved the wind and rain in search of Muckle Snippecks, gobbling worms on the common grounds of Pen coed. Although Woodcocks (as we prefer to call them), are often described as 'one of the best examples of camouflage in the world of nature', all the stripes and brown feathers in the world are no match for a big bright torch and a massive landing net.  We have tallied only 9 this season but we have a string of metal rings to use before these marvellous creatures disappear northwards.

That is the look of joy

Small Victories

The Cardiff Ringing Group is composed of conservationists and scientists (which can sometimes, but not always, be the same thing). As such, the group strives to contribute to the understanding of the ecology our avian cousins- (especially those with funny names). It shames us to admit it, but most of our endeavours in this regard, result in total failure. However- with persistence and learning, we can succeed...

Slow Saturday for Swans

As is tradition for all new CRG trainee recruits, the new year began with testing the steel of our newest members: John and Claire. There is a craft to stalking and capturing a mute swan; the trick is to look unimpressed and uninterested in the birds and gaze out into the distance as if counting the new tufted ducks you plan to catch (it also helps to picture the bacon sandwich you'll soon be eating from the cafe).  Then, once in pouncing range, and after checking the bird doesn't already bear the markings of a BTO-endorsed previous encounter, pounce; pounce fast; pounce with precision and accuracy. All too often trainees will show hesitation, deviation and repetition - all hallmarks of failure- and guarantees of having to shell out for the bacon sarnies.

When I watch Richard pouncing onto an unsuspecting mute swan, I am often taken back in time 12,000 years to the early Holocene to observe the successes of a well fed and successful swan hunter- I suspect that I too bear a similar (albeit Neanderthal) resemblance. 

I am happy to report that the new crew show promise; (they were not afraid of the honkers and they had a go- good enough I suppose!) 6 more swans with blue rings (C077-082).

In related news- we have had a couple of recoveries of swans (Burnham on Sea -somewhere abroad I reckon) and roath park lake (again). Another coot has ended up in Manchester (Kane Brides must have been on tour).

Keeping the CRG in the Lime Light

As role models and peers to the other ringing groups in Wales and indeed, the UK, its very important for the Cardiff ringers to occasionally feature on TV providing world class Friday night entertainment. On this occasion (aired on New Years Day) we were assisting Prof Ormerod relay the importance of River water quality to biodiversity to the ITV viewing public with the legendary Ray Mears. I suspect Ray has seen many bird extractions in his career, but we could sense his awe. Its tough maintaining high standards....

check it out in full here
Cardiff Ringers ringing with Ray

The dipper ringed was later recovered this winter (a year or so later) by half man, half ringing god Tony Cross, who quipped 'the dipper must have picked up a couple of survival tips from Ray!'

Back with a Bang!

Radio silence can be beautiful, but its' time has been and gone. The third age of flippant, mildly amusing posts about the activities of an unremarkable ringing group in South Wales has just begun.

We are mostly active at Cardiff Bay which is ticking over nicely- we are also monitoring Lavernock.
The first ringing session at Lavernock yielded many new recruits to the ringing scheme including Bullfinches, Goldcrests and a Firecrest. A Firecrest!

Happy to be invited

New Site Going Well (Caerlan - Penrhiwfer)

Although this site is well known locally to the bird watchers in the area, it was identified the potential of the location from a ringing perspective, various studies are conducted over the year from NRS, BBS to general year listing.

Having reached the dizzy heights of being awarded a C permit (Conventional Trapping Techniques)  from the BTO, it was time all the visits to the location were split up to target specific areas were particular species were active.

A visit in early July produced a male / female Stonechat visiting a identified area frequently, spring trap set with mealworm BINGO

My First Officially Rung Bird For The Site

Various other visits to the site produced the odd Meadow Pipit 

A concentrated effort was then carried out at my back garden with using small spring trap 25cm x 25cm & potter traps various sizes received from John Mawer (by the way a very nice chap indeed).

The potter traps proved to be pretty productive with Woodpigeon, Starling, House Sparrow, Magpie, Dunnock & Chaffinch current species caught

After the family holiday it was time to get back to business, with a visit to Cearlan to target Meadow Pipits the first visit was conducted over the weekend of 13/14th September and what a few days to remember a total of 35 Meadow Pipits were processed. Further visits up to this morning has produced a total of 59 processed Meadow Pipits the majority this year birds, many of the birds showing the post juvenile moult stage. 

It is hoped a few more visits will be conducted over the next few weeks, also identified was a flock of approx 60 -70 linnets, good numbers of Skylark 20+

The site has some real potential from a ringing perspective particularly over the winter periods as Fieldfare, Redwing, & Blackbird are plentiful in various areas

A selection of spring traps used at the Cearlan Site

And finally a Welsh Meadow Pipit wearing its official BTO jewellery

Y536562

  

Island Bonanza!

Last weekend we sent Facey and a few banner men as emissary to Flat Holm; if for nothing else other than to see how many empty net rounds he'd managed before being found in a heap in the Gull and Leek, surrounded by empty beer bottles and covered in crisps.

 

But Flat Holm is an unpredictable mistress and this time the alder bushes were hopping with birds. Nets were put up and believe it or not, birds were caught. Real birds too. Chiffchaffs, willow warblers and blackcaps graced the net on Friday before a cold beer (just the err one).

Trainee (soon to be C) Erin explaining to members of the Flat Holm Society

all about Willwas. For those familiar with the Welsh Political scene, yes that

Ray in the background.

Then came Saturday - grey skies, low cloud and an invisible mainland meant the migrants stayed on the island. Nets put up the previous evening were unfurled and then more put up. The first two net rounds contained more non-gulls than were caught on Flat Holm in all of 2013. Then came the House martins, clinging to the light house; 32 were tempted by a tape lure, as was a sedge warbler. By the afternoon the sun was shining and the cloud burnt through so things slowed down.  But when the G&L opened its doors, 119 birds had been ringed.

Extracting house martins. We apologise for the smiles and  scene of enjoyment

 
 Sunday saw much slower progress and fewer birds were caught - rock pipit and meadow pipit gracing the nets. Wheatear refused to play ball, repeatedly ignoring our offerings of mealworm. Eventually we packed up, slightly sun kissed, finishing on 180 birds of the weekend. Hells Yeah!


So what was bird of the trip? The house martins were pretty good. But, as no megas were caught, bird of the trip went too...

 

As rarity is a matter of context and this is a rare bird for Flat Holm; this

individual being only the fourth to end up in a net on the island. The last

one was caught in 1998. Still, with wryneck seemingly everywhere that

weekend it would have been nice if the Gods had graced us with one.


 

Tad-da! Our totals for the trip, presented old school in a notebook.