Rye Meads Ringing Group Bulletin Nov - Dec 2000 http://www.rmrg.care4free.net e-mail: rmrg@care4free.net
Download the 23kb Excel file of ringing totals for 2000 (save this file to disk option)
Observations Paul Collins
WINTER WARMERS FOR THE FESTIVE PERIOD: BRENT GOOSE, PEREGRINE,
WOODLARK AND BLACK REDSTART.
The only Grebe species on site in this period was Little Grebe,
which peaked at 27 by 30th Dec. While the Cormorant population
reached a max of 15 on 11/11. Five Grey Heron was the best seen
along with a single Bittern which was first seen on 4/11 and then
a further four times in this period. Mute Swan numbers dropped
off from 15 in Nov to 7 by 30th Dec. While the only geese on site
were Canadian with 46 the highest total and one Brent goose
heading south on 1st Nov after some very windy conditions the
first highlight in this bulletin. With so much flooded area
[including the hut] duck numbers on the whole were pretty poor
with the following being the maximum counts: Shelduck 8 going
east 23/12 with 1-2 being the norm on most occasions. Gadwall 190
on 30/12, Teal 200 between 20-23/12, Mallard 101 on 30/12. The
resident male Garganey was seen on eight different dates mainly
in the 1st meadow. Shoveler numbers reached 35 by 30/12 and
Pochard were low with twelve on 4/11 being the only notable
count, Tufted Duck 168 also 30/12, the only other duck record was
of Goldeneye with two on 24/11 and four other single sightings.
Birds of prey within these months were as follows: no Nuns or
Mother Superior! but Sparrowhawk 1-3, seen on most visits,
Kestrel 1-5, 5 being on 11/11 and the second highlight of this
period a Peregrine on 30/12 over the north lagoons. Water rail
numbers picked up with nine being seen in the frozen conditions
on the 30/12, Coot numbers seem to be low this winter with the
highest count being 297 on 18/11. Waders unlike the last two
periods were “thin on the ground” with the only
worthwhile counts being movements south, mainly Lapwing with 180
on 24/11, 113 on 9/12 and 131 on 23/12, Golden Plover were
sighted just once with 13 on 15/11. Other waders present on site
were, Jack Snipe with two singles on 18/11 and 2/12 and then 3 in
the snow on 30/12.Snipe were present throughout, but with low
counts until 61 on 18/11.A single Woodcock was seen during a
roost session the night of 16/12. The last Common Sandpiper of
the year was at the works on 4/11 along with a max of 5 Green
sandpipers in these two months. With no proper Gull roost counts
done as yet, apart from 2000 Black- Headed 8/12 numbers are not
all that accurate the best being on 16/12 of 30 Common, 60 Lesser
Blk- backed, 20 Herring and the only Grt Blk-backed count was of
three on the 18/12. Doves and Pigeons moved south quickly with
only one record of a single Stock dove 1/11 and large movements
of Woodpigeon heading south of 120 on 1/11 and 233 on 4/11, with
Collard dove, two was the highest count on various occasions. A
single Tawny Owl was also heard calling early one morning just as
the sun was rising [and so on] on10/12. Three Kingfishers was the
max count on 4/11 but numbers are slowly dwindling and are now
down to a single bird. Green and Grt Sptd Woodpeckers were on
site on all visits with 3 and 5 being their highest counts. Larks
trickled through mainly overhead with a single Woodlark being
another excellent highlight on 4/11, while Skylarks peaked at a
pathetic seven on the same day. Pipit numbers were just as bad
with the only double figures of Meadow Pipit being 15, 20 and 10
on the 4th, 11th and 25th Nov. The only Water Pipit record was
one 4/11.Wagtails numbers were also un-impressive, with the
highest on the same date as the Water Pipit with 17 Grey and 30
Pied. There were two records of Stonechat in this period one 4/11
and the other 16/12, which was duly caught and ringed. The
worrying trend of declining Thrush numbers seems to be continuing
at the Mead’s, with the max numbers of Blackbirds being 40
by 15/11. Fieldfare 15 and Redwing 167 both on 4/11, while the
low Song Thrush numbers continue, 15 was the best on 16/12, five
sightings of Mistle Thrush in this period with three 18/12 the
rest being singles. Winter Blackcaps joined the Chiffchaffs with
a pair in the sluice at the end of Nov through to early Dec, with
a female being caught 15/11 and singles on 9th, 16th and 30th/12.
Chiffchaff numbers increased by mid Dec from 10 unto 15, whilst
Goldcrest peaked at 25 by the end of Nov, they are now dropping
of to single figures. A welcomed rare visitor these days in the
form of a single Willow Tit was present on one day the 23/12.
There was only one record of Treecreeper on 2/12.
BTO TARMAC Challenge Paul Roper Well Done! We have won! We have just received news that we have won our section of the BTO Tarmac Challenge 2000. The judges in the end allowed us 134 species due to the admittance of all Honey Buzzard records. Well done and thank you to all who contributed last year, and thanks to the RSPB and HMT for sending in the records from their visitors (even though we had to scrub off Killdeer and King Eider!) Our group finished like this Water Treatment Sites Rye Meads STW Herts 134, Godalming STW Surrey 112, Dunstable STW Beds 111, Swindon STW Wilts 101 (Well done to Matt), Tring STW Herts 85, Malvern STW Worsc 53, Aust STW Avon 40. There is still the announcement of the winners of Conservation in the Community to be awarded yet and these will be announced soon. The over all winners were of course Rutland Water with a staggering 183 species, this is a large and diverse site but still an excellent achievement for a year list! The presentation ceremony will take place at Tarmac Northern Nosterfield Quarry on Friday 18th May 2001. SUBSCIPTIONS It’s that wonderful time of year again when subs are due, please send all subs to: Mr Paul Collins, 847 St Albans Rd, Garston, Watford, Herts. As soon as possible please so to save messing about all year and having to write nasty, horrible letters, Many thanks your friendly Treasurer.
Where do our Cormorants breed and what do they look like once they have been bread? Startling new evidence has come to light about a new subspecies of Cormorant visiting Rye Meads. Alan Harris has taken some notes and sketches. The discovery was made while checking through a first draft text on the status of Cormorants at Rye Meads, we were amazed to discover “colour-ringed individuals confirm Abberton birds as well as Danish and French bred birds”................ The new species will be called Phalacrocorax carbo crusteii. Past classic’s from the Log - A Harris 1st May 1985 TS in residence “Got up at dawn and washed my eyes in the dew. The first person I saw after was Bill Last. Superstition says that I will marry him............... 19th Dec 1985 1 Bluebottle (back hut) 1 Milk bottle (back stream) (observer PL) ..............And continues diptera observations on 3 Jan 87 1 Bluebottle (on PT) On 28th Feb 1987 interesting activities included burning woodpiles, clap netting, checking DT’s and Bread juggling (AH PL) 4 June 89 Chris Dee introduces a new category to the log .........Ex Mammals 1 dead mole. One cold December day five ringers are attempting to catch a water rail at the sluice and are all around one large bramble bush. Evenly spread it would appear there is no escape for the rail....................Then AH cups his hands to his mouth and in best megaphone voice shouts “come out with your wings up you are surrounded...........” And finally........AH explaining in protracted detail the fine art of setting the duck traps to PL, with special emphasis on the positioning of the grain. An awe-struck PL exclaims “Truly Alan, you are a Master Baiter..........”
REQUIRED URGENTLY by RMRG Applications in
writing to the committee,Closing date 01.04.01
HEALTH and SAFETY OFFICER The candidate will need to demonstrate
expertise in the following area’s: *Risk assessment. *Risks
associated with water and water born diseases. *Avian aggression.
*Falls from height. *Falls from grace. *Hot air. Ability to get
people out of the shit is vital ANTI-BULLYING OFFICER The
candidate should have knowledge of anti-bullying policies
including: *Racial equality. *Gender issues. *Dealing with
harassment (particularly of cats, rats and squirrels) *Disability
issues *Abuse of trainees Applications are particularly welcomed
from under-represented groups such as: People with disability,
women, minority ethnic groups BTO members with more than two
brain cells.
Ringing Summary 2000 Derek Baggott - With an annual total of 4164 birds ringed, the previous best total since 1990 achieved in 1999 was surpassed. This was more to do with increased effort by a few dedicated members than rising bird populations. Unfortunately, the all time high of 80 species ringed in 1999 was not matched, with only 77 species this year. Never the less the species count did exceed all since 1983. Of the total birds ringed 578 were pulli. The 12 scheduled visits to each Constant Effort Site (CES) were successfully covered, but catching efficiency was low especially at the south lagoon site. This was a reflection of the ever increasing change to scrub / woodland habitat despite continual management. Notable individual species counts were as follows: Little Grebe, 6, the best ever total. Shelduck, 8, the best total ever as a result of 6 juveniles ringed in July. Water Rail, 10, the best since 1984 thanks to the supermarket basket traps baited with sprats ably deployed by Paul Collins. Kingfisher,17, worryingly the lowest total since 1985. Reed Warbler, 324, the highest since 1984, due to the increasing reed habitat on the Herts and Middlesex Trust gravel workings site at the NE, and extra effort, both resulting in 136 pulli ringed. Grasshopper Warbler, 8, the best since 1990, thanks to a brood of 6. Blackcap, 434, maintaining the trend of increasing numbers caught from 1997, probably as a result of the gradual change to the scrub / woodland habitat. Chiffchaff, 240, maintaining the trend of increasing numbers caught since 1994. Twenty nine were ringed during the winter months between 1 January – 14 March and 1 November – 31 December, suggesting an expanding winter population compared to a maximum catch of 19 for the same months during the previous decade. Goldcrest, 76, the best ever total and passing the previous best of 43 in 1999. The use of a tape lure starting 1999 probably accounts for much of this apparent increase. Greenfinch, 223, the best total since 1991 which hopefully heralds a return of this species after the low catches of 1992 and 1998. Reed Bunting, 114, the best total since 1989 due largely to a good wintering population. One each of Wheatear, Whinchat, and Redstart and 5 Stonechat were successfully caught in spring traps. The Stonechat total being the best since 1975. Other notable speices were Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, one caught in January was the first since 1995, and one Nightingale in April together with a re-trapped bird originally ringed in May 1998. The only notable recoveries notified to the group were two Common Tern, one ringed in 1990, the other in 1991as pulli, with both caught and released in Huelva, Spain eight years later in August 1998 and September 199 respectively. Control information received includes two Paris scheme Sedge Warbler ringed at Finistere, France in August 1993 and September 1996, and respectively controlled in April 1994 and June/July 1997 and again 1998. The ring from a Swallow ringed as a juvenile at Pitsea, Essex, in August 1998 was found in a Kestrel pellet in October 1999. Finaly a Chffchaff ringed at Willington Forest, Lincolnshire in August 1994 was controlled in October 1999 after 1,896 days.
RECOVERIES FP19317 Gadwall 1J (PC) 10-Jul-00; freshly dead / shot 23-Oct-00, Cogenhoe Northamaptonshire, 75km NW, 105 days. GF69761 Mallard 1J (BRU) 04-Aug-97; freshly dead / shot 09-Nov-00 Nr Hoddesdon, Local, 1193 days. F693720 Reed Warbler 1J (PC) 04-Jun-99; controlled 29-Jul-00 Iklesham, Sussex, 107 km SSE, 423 days. P384639 Sedge Warbler 3J (TS) 26-Jul-00; controlled 13-Aug-00 Dungeness, Kent, 114 km SSE, 18 days. P384700 Blackcap 3J (PC) 26-Jul-00; controlled 10-Sep-00, Wiggginton, Hertfordshire, 44 km W, 46 days. P385356 Blackcap 3F (PRO) 17-Sep-00; controlled 13-Oct-00, Hollesley, Suffolk, 104 km, ENE 26 days. CONTROLS K952443 Swallow 3J 18-Aug-98; Piteas marshes, Basildon, Essex; found in Kestrel pellet, 15-Oct-99, 43 km NW, 423 days. P013322 Reed Warbler 3 12-Aug-00; Iklesham, Sussex, controlled 18-Aug-00, 107 km NNW, 6 days. OL6530 Chiffchaff 3 20-Aug-94; Willington forest, Lincolnshire, controlled, 29-Oct-99, 183 km S, 1896 days.
Become a Friend of Rye Meads
I sent this as an end of year round up from the meads, however for the very reasonable sum of five pounds birdwatchers in the Lee Valley can become a friend of Rye Meads and will recieve a bulletin every two months and a free report every three years (very good value). The also entitles them to visit the "other" part of Rye Meads with prior arrangement with myself and see the ringing and birdwatch the private parts of the site (This has to be on a prior arrangement basis as access with keys etc has to be arranged and a full rining member must be in attendance) We are also a bit short of people to conduct breeding surveys on site this year so if any one wants to help this could be usefull but it is quite a big committment. Any one wishing to join can send a letter and cheque to myself or Paul Collins (address on the bulletin).
Paul Roper