2016 Bird Ringing Season Totals
The 63rd consecutive season at Copeland Bird Observatory came to a close at the end of October, and although we somehow missed all the rarities that poured into the UK and Ireland through September/October, it was still a decent year for bird ringing.
A total of 1344 new birds were ringed at the Observatory in 2016 with a total of 46 different species.
As I mentioned, there were no real rarities captured but there were a few notable catches for different reasons, which include:
Woodpigeon – 6 (11 previous ringing records)
Mallard – 3 (12 previous records)
Cuckoo – 2 (24 previous records) (juveniles – probably born on the island)
Skylark – 2 (23 previous records)
Carrion Crow – 2 (2-3rd ringed)
Hooded Crow – 14 (60 previous records)
Treecreeper – 1 (19th)
Redwing – 21 (260 previous records)
Garden Warbler – 1 (97th)
Yellow-browed Warbler – 1 (7th)
Twite – 1 (75th)
Brambling – 1 (12th)
Water Rail – 1 (237th – great spot for them)
There were 10 controls (birds originally ringed somewhere else) handled – 1 Goldcrest, 1 Chaffinch, 3 Lesser Redpolls, 3 Goldfinches and 2 Storm Petrels.
There were a number of CBOs birds recovered elsewhere including a Herring Gull to Argyll and Bute, Black-headed and Common Gulls in North Down, Outer Ards and Lough Neagh, 5 Arctic Terns now breeding on Anglesey, Wales – including a 26 year old, 11 Lesser Redpolls controlled across the UK – Suffolk, Yorkshire, Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Calf of Man etc. and 1 Chiffchaff controlled at Skokholm on return passage in April 2016.
We had an unprecedented five Manx Shearwaters recovered (found dead on beaches) in Brazil between the 26th September and 12th October 2016 and a further four birds now breeding on the Calf of Man and one bird on Bardsey Island.
Total new birds ringed:
Storm Petrel – 28
Manx Shearwater – 394
Mallard – 3
Eider – 24
Water Rail – 1
Oystercatcher – 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull – 8
Herring Gull – 3
Black Guillemot – 13
Stock Dove – 1
Woodpigeon – 6
Cuckoo – 2
Skylark – 2
Swallow – 47
Carrion Crow- 2
Hooded Crow – 14
Jackdaw – 3
Magpie – 1
Treecreeper – 1
Wren – 72
Fieldfare – 2
Song Thrush – 16
Redwing – 21
Blackbird – 25
Wheatear – 2
Robin – 66
Sedge Warbler – 12
Blackcap – 33
Garden Warbler – 1
Willow Warbler – 75
Chiffchaff – 28
Yellow-browed Warbler – 1
Goldcrest – 110
Spotted Flycatcher – 2
Dunnock – 10
Meadow Pipit – 23
Rock Pipit – 4
Pied Wagtail – 6
Starling – 38
Goldfinch – 87
Siskin – 1
Linnet – 18
Twite – 1
Lesser Redpoll – 113
Chaffinch – 13
Brambling – 1
Reed Bunting – 8
CBO
