Bird Ringing Round-Up

Some nest boxes had to be revisited as the chicks were too small to be ringed when first checked.  Below is a typical Nuthatch nest with the cup made from carefully collected pieces of pine cones and flakey bark.  The entrance is usually sealed with mud!

At this nest the ringers processed the young but were able to ring the female too.

In a larger nest box, with a totally different type of nest, were Kestrel chicks.  These will not be ready to ring for another week or so.

Bird boxes give some protection from the weather, although rain and cold can prevent the adults from finding enough food for their young.  However the ground nesting birds, like Lapwings, can only be protected by the adults brooding them, as the nests are in the open.  There is one egg just about to hatch in this Lapwing nest.

Although conditions have been variable, this well grown Lapwing has survived and is doing well.

The bird ringers found a dead Lapwing on the road yesterday that was ringed at the same spot on 11 May 2010 as a chick!  It is the first Lapwing they have ever had a recovery of - and the ringers found it themselves!   They have ringed over 1500, but this is the only evidence they have had that Lapwing return to their natal area to breed - although it is not surprising.

Another wader chick ringed was this beautiful Snipe.

Although the weather has not been good down on Salisbury Plain, Jack has managed to ring some Whitethroat chicks.

He then had an excellent find of a Lesser Whitethroat nest.  These birds are now quite scarce.