Wednesday 17 December 2014

Variety at night and a Woodcock to Denmark

We have previously had recoveries of our Woodcock from Russia and Norway but news of one being shot in Denmark is a first.
EX94463 was ringed on 14th January 2013 near Crymych. 673 days later it was shot on 18th November at Oksbøl, Ribe in Denmark. Where it has been between those dates is unknown but with information from Satellite tags fitted by the Woodcock Network some of the mysteries of Woodcock migration are being identified. Woodcock Watch
Our Woodcock numbers are slowly starting to build while the ringers in mid Wales are already seeing huge numbers. See their blog "What a load of old Scopolax" Also see Owen Williams interesting post  Woodcock breeding with information on the 2014 breeding season and proof of high site fidelity.

As well as ringing Woodcock, we have been finding a variety of other species roosting on the fields.
We regularly see Fieldfare and Redwing but this Mistle Thrush was a surprise.
This was only the 4th Mistle Thrush that the group has ringed, the other three being caught in garden nets in the daytime.
Some of our fields have small numbers of Skylark but this week was the first time we have seen and caught any this winter.
With a new moon on the 22nd I expect the group we will be out spending the dark evenings lamping, not wrapping presents!

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