RRG October 2022

A reccie of Chobham Common by CHR/KDT found a very quiet site (a few Stonechats were the only highlight) so we decided to wait with the hope that Redpolls are on their way. EP was recovering from a broken leg, had returned to Bedfont, when… she found out she needed a heart-value operation. That curtailed ringing activities for the rest of October, but the op was successful and EP, is once again, on the mend.

*** Congratulations to EW for her A permit upgrade. EW put the effort in this year, processing around 1,000 birds, by helping out neigbour Hughenden RG to run two CESs, still getting our Wraysbury CES done and ringing with TA at his finch site ***

** Welcome to BJD - a trainee from Sandwich Bay BO who will be training with CHR **

Ageing Cetti’s Warbler

There is a reference in Demongin suggesting that some young Cetti’s Warblers can be aged after their post-juv moult. Some individuals retain one or more undertail coverts: these are longer than the adult-style feathers and their tips are slightly less bright. To my eye, they can be a little more worn too.

A Jubilee River, Taplow Cetti’s Warbler, 9th October 2022 (CHR)

Bedfont Lakes (EP)

Managed one session at the main site with AAB and my friend Noel. Was very busy with tits and chiffs. A commotion between a Sparrowhawk and parakeets ended up with 3 adult male rinpa being caught. Quite a rarity these days at Bedfont just because of where we place our nets.

Wraysbury – WGP (CHR)

We ran two sessions in October (2nd & 8th) but then poor weather got the better of us. Blackcaps trickled through the site (8 & 5) as Redwing arrived (1 & 6) - will the crossover of these species broaden as our summers get milder?

Chiffchaffs managed a total of 17 but it was the pipit triangle that produced our most populous species (22 &10 Meadow Pipits).

One of those 32 Meadow Pipits, ARX2039, was curious. The inner OGCs were more deeply defined than the outer OGCs, though without the short ‘tooth’ of an adult feather.

ARX2039 Meadow Pipit with two variations of old greater covert

Recoveries

Ringed by RRG: boxed in green.

LDT347 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita   Scheme:GBT Duration: 18d Distance: 10 km Direction: 305° (NW)

Ringer: Runnymede Ringing Group, 9073; Ringing date: 15-Sep-2022 11:50:00 Age: 3J Wraysbury Gravel Pits, Windsor and Maidenhead, UK County code: GBWAM, Grid ref: TQ0173 Coords: 51.450000, -0.533000; Wing: 59.0mm; Weight 8.0g Finder: Hughenden Rg, 9106; Finding date: 03-Oct-2022 (0) 11:00:00 Age: 3 Jubilee River, Slough, UK County code: GBSLO, Grid ref: SU9479 Coords: 51.500000, -0.633000 Wing: 60.0 mm.; Weight: 7.2 g., Time: 11:00hrs Subsequent Capture by Ringer, Intentionally Taken

AHE4084 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla   Scheme:GBT Duration: 2yr 26d Distance: 41 km Direction: 344° (NNW)

Ringer: Runnymede Ringing Group, 9073; Ringing date: 06-Sep-2020 12:30:00 Age: 3, Sex: M Sex meth: P Wraysbury Gravel Pits, Windsor and Maidenhead, UK County code: GBWAM, Grid ref: TQ0173 Coords: 51.450000, -0.533000; Wing: 75.0mm Finder: Tring Ringing Group, 9171; Finding date: 02-Oct-2022 (0) 07:00:00 Age: 4 Sex meth: P, Sex: M Wilstone Reservoir, near Tring, Hertfordshire, UK (WIL) County code: GBHES, Grid ref: SP9012 Coords: 51.783000, -0.683000 Wing: 78.0 mm.; Weight: 16.5 g., Time: 07:00hrs Subsequent Capture by Ringer, Intentionally Taken

AFV8250 Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti   Scheme:GBT Duration: 11m 29d Distance: 88 km Direction: 39° (NE)

Ringer: Titchfield Haven Ringing Group, 9216; Ringing date: 09-Oct-2021 07:00:00 Age: 3, Sex: F Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve, Hampshire, UK (TFH) County code: GBHAM, Grid ref: SU5302 Coords: 50.800000, -1.233000; Wing: 57.0mm; Weight 10.7g Finder: Runnymede Ringing Group, 9073; Finding date: 08-Oct-2022 08:50:00 Age: 2 Sex meth: S, Sex: F Bedfont Lakes, East Bedfont, Greater London, UK (BFT) County code: GBGLO, Grid ref: TQ0772 Coords: 51.433000, -0.450000 Wing: 56.0 mm.; Weight: 11.5 g., Time: 08:50hrs Subsequent Capture by Ringer, Intentionally Taken

EY67908 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus   Scheme:GBT Duration: 9yr 3m 15d Distance: 355 km Direction: 247° (WSW)

Ringer: Runnymede Ringing Group, 9073; Ringing date: 07-Jul-2013 11:00:00 Age: 1 P.ringed: 1, P.alive: 0 Bedfont Lakes, East Bedfont, Greater London, UK (BFT) County code: GBGLO, Grid ref: TQ0772 Coords: 51.433000, -0.450000 Finder: West Cornwall Ringing Group, 9210; Finding date: 22-Oct-2022 (0) 17:00:00 Age: 0 Swanpool, Falmouth, Cornwall, UK (FAL) County code: GBCOR, Grid ref: SW8031 Coords: 50.133000, -5.067000 Sight record by a ringer, Metal Ring Read In Field

Ringing this September 2022

No ringing at group sites took place in the last half of the month so totals were historically low. We had a Devon-ringed Blackcap at Wraysbury, a Dunnock ringed in Iver and died in Iver and a young Chiff from Wraybury in July, turning up on Jubilee River this month - where will it choose to breed next year?

We had run three sessions by mid-month, when I took a week off up north. On return the 25/26 looked too windy for the site and no further visits were made.

The first two sessions each returned 150+ birds and the third session’s 100+ reflected a reduction in team/nets (CHR/EW). Blackcap (193), Chiffchaff (103) flavoured catches throughout but it was good to get Meadow Pipits from 10th and 15th (45) and Willow Warbler (22) were the fourth commonest species.

TA took a smart 5M Sparrowhawk out at the start of a round on 10th. This is the only hawk ringed this year by the group and follows a trend of one bird per annum. This wasn’t always the case and we’ve had more years of 5+ hawks this century than not!

5M Sparrowhawk - bird survey, Wraysbury September 2022

Sparrowhawk totals C21st

Year	Total		Year	Total
2022	1		2010	12
2021	1		2009	10
2020	1		2008	6
2019	3		2007	6
2018	6		2006	8
2017	2		2005	7
2016	4		2004	8
2015	4		2003	11
2014	13		2002	6
2013	7		2001	9
2012	3		2000	4
2011	7