Bird Ringing

V Bull

I was out and about in Wicklow during the weekend when I came across a small group of people “bird ringing”. After a chat I was invited to join them as they checked their nets which were about 100m away or so.

You had to be quick on your feet to keep up with them as they swiftly moved through to the edge of the woods / marsh to where the nets were and to check their catch and then bring them back again to the ringing area in order to minimise the stress on the birds.

I was told that the majority of birds ringed that day from 5am were Blackcaps with some Dunnocks, Chaffinches and a Blackbird (Spotty) who was trapped before.

Great guys (and lady), here are a few snaps, enjoy...















A ringed Blackbird that I spotted later in the day..

swifts need our help!

lucky you!

trebor28

i dont suppose you happened to ask them do they frequent this forum?
or are any of them members?

V Bull

trebor28 wrote: »

i dont suppose you happened to ask them do they frequent this forum?
or are any of them members?

Never did ask :eek:.....too many other questions were just streaming out.... fascinating stuff....

Mothman

Please Note
Bird Netting/Ringing is illegal except for licensed operators. Bird Ringing is managed by the BTO. It takes a lot of training to become a licensed ringer.

Further info

I have been involved in a few ringing sessions myself. Usually extracting the birds from the net is quick, but the occasional one does get quite tangled, and once had to act quick to keep a Kestrel away from the trapped birds :eek:

Half-cocked

Mothman wrote: »

Usually extracting the birds from the net is quick, but the occasional one does get quite tangled, and once had to act quick to keep a Kestrel away from the trapped birds :eek:

Used to go mist netting with ringers on the Saltees. I remember a Merlin chased a Blackbird into the net and we ringed both.

Mothman, you might be interested to know that we also caught an Elephant Hawkmoth and a Hairy Hawker in the nets. The Hawker gave me a nasty little nip as I was extracting it.

Wrens are the worst bird for getting tangled. They stick they're wings through the mesh and then spin around and around. A nightmare to extract. I always let some one else do the wrens;)

thebishop

I found a dead Oyster catcher last year near Bantry which had been ringed as a chick in Iceland six years previously.

doctor evil

You are lucky you came upon it OP.

I would love to get involved with bird ringing.

V Bull

Mothman wrote: »

Please Note
Bird Netting/Ringing is illegal except for licensed operators. Bird Ringing is managed by the BTO. It takes a lot of training to become a licensed ringer.

Further info

Yes, indeed Mothman, I should have stressed that point in my opening post.....Thank you