Passerine ringing

I haven’t been passerine ringing for what seems like a very long time so it was with a little trepidation that I found myself driving out to Brackenhurst the other Sunday to join my friends in the South Notts Ringing Group. Thoughts such as ‘will I remember how to age a yellowhammer?’ were running through my head as I negotiated the A617. Luckily, it seems as though ringing is a bit like riding a bike; you soon remember how to do it once you get back on it.  

We met at a respectable 7am and set both the feeder nets and the nets in Orwin’s plantation. The sound lure in Orwin’s failed to attract much at all, except for one fieldfare, one goldcrest, one robin and possibly the odd tit (my shocking memory is why I should write these posts closer to the events!). Thankfully the feeder nets did much better, until the wind decided to come out to play that is! We packed up early, finishing on 56 birds which was approximately half the previous week’s tally, despite the weather apparently being very similar.

The totals included tree sparrows, yellowhammers and a greenfinch, the latter of which is a bit of a rarity round here these days! It is always lovely to see tree sparrow in the hand and it was good to refresh my memory on the intricacies of ageing yellowhammers. Unfortunately, the large flocks of thrushes that were teasing us by flying around the field all morning didn’t respond to the sound lure and neither did the green woodpeckers that were calling to each other throughout the session. Good job there is always a next time J

It felt really good to be ringing passerines again and it was great to catch up with some members of SNRG that I haven’t seen for a very long time!