Bird Ringing with a Difference

Saturday, December 31st 2016

I wrote in a blog not long ago that Moorhen have big feet, but that I did not have a photo showing them.  That can now be remedied.  This is one of the Moorhens that has been caught in the duck trap on another site.

Our duck trap has had some alterations made and a Mallard has been caught and ringed.  Yesterday, in the wind, not a bird was to be seen on the lake, although there was the occaisional shriek from a Moorhen and a Mallard was also heard.

Yesterday afternoon the bird ringers were at another site setting up the nets to catch waders, particulalry Curlew.  At Foxglove all the net rides are prepared and the net poles in the exact position, just waiting for the nets.  On this site poles had to be placed and tethered before the nets could go in.  Tony, an experienced bird ringer explained how to set about the task.

The nets raised.

Unfortunately the birds did not arrive to roost.  In an email sent out to the bird ringers Tony stated;- 'It wasn't a waste of time because putting in wader nets is different, and those that were there saw the possibilities and the differences in the weight and structure of these nets, and the nuances to putting them up and why. The nets were really great and an exemplar of how nets should be set - we were just short of an essentiall ingredient!'

A reminder that wildlife does not always do what you expect it to do. 

The Management Group would like to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers who give their time so willingly and work so hard, throughout the year, no matter what the weather or task, to keep Foxglove Covert looking so good.  All the hard work pays off when the reserve awakes from her winter sleep and spring begins to slowly unfold, with Primroses and Dog Violets and the return of the Chiffchaffs.  Summer sees colour, scents, flitting insects, crawling slugs and a myriad of wings of birds, butterlies and moths.

Best wishes for a Happy, Peaceful and Healthy New Year.  Raise a dram to the New Year.

Robert Burns expresses New Year in that time honoured song, Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’lltak' a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!
and gie's a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll tak' a right gude-willie waught,
for auld lang syne.

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