Garden ringing

My first garden ringing session started around 8am this morning when Jim and Ian arrived. After scrutinising the garden, Jim disappeared to his Landrover and returned with a 10’ net which we put up across the garden with a 40’ running lengthways, with the feeders on the inside. The garden had been packed with birds earlier, so my expectations were high.

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My garden with two nets ready and waiting to be inundated.

It’s not often in life that we moan about the weather being too nice, but ringers are a little different (!) and bright sunshine, with a gentle breeze, was perhaps not what I would have requested for the morning. However, it made for a lovely ringing session even if it did make the nets a little too visible. The neighbour’s two cats each came to visit a couple of times but after being chased away by Ian, they soon got the hint and left us in peace!

The first bird to jump into the net was a female great tit, followed quite quickly by a starling, which behaved itself surprisingly well! After a lot of discussion and after consulting Svensson, we decided the starling was a first year bird. A dunnock came next, which was already showing signs of having a CP (although not up to full breeding season standards!), then a long tailed tit and a house sparrow. After five birds, I’d had to crack open four different ring sizes! It was fabulous to be able to see a house sparrow in the hand as that was a new species for me and Ian (who ringed the second bird to oblige).  A collared dove bounced out of the net (gutted) and lots of other birds displayed their aerobatic prowess by taking evasive action at the last minute to dive over, under or around the nets (damn that sunshine).

First bird in the net.

First ever house sparrow!

By mid-morning, the birds had clearly decided to go out for the day and enjoy the weather so we had to resort to amusing ourselves. Jim helped me to set up my IPMR database and gave me a brief refresher course. Ian then grabbed my guitar (that I cannot play I hasten to add) and treated us to an impromptu acoustic set…or was he serenading Jim?

Spot the Luton town fan with a Nottingham Forest mug in his hand!

We then decided to try adding a second 40’ net on the right hand side of the garden to enclose the feeders on three sides and we set up the potter trap that Ian had kindly made for me. Unfortunately, neither caught and we took the nets down early afternoon having caught eight birds. Full catch details (all new birds): great tit - 2, long tailed tit - 2, house sparrow - 2, starling - 1, dunnock - 1.

I have to say a huge thank you to Jim and Ian for coming all the way to Chesterfield to help me with my first garden session and to Jim for lending me his nets and poles. I can’t wait for my next session!

Ruth