Northants Ringing Group 2023.

 

NORTHANTS RINGING GROUP.

2023 was another successful year for Northants Ringing Group (NRG).
I have been in touch with BTO and although they don’t have an original application form from the group they do have a start date of 26/2/1998, which will mean the group has been going for twenty six years this year.
The group currently consists of five trainers (S permit), four A ringers, three C ringers and ten trainees. There are 152 sites recorded on DemOn for the group of which fifty are currently active i.e., ringing has undertaken in the last five years. The group also monitors 576 nest boxes on various group sites with the majority being Tit boxes but there are an impressive 32 Barn Owl boxes and 25 Tawny Owl boxes being monitored.
As well as conducting ringing at the normal county sites the annual pilgrimage to Skokholm was undertaken, with Chris Payne continuing his research into Storm Petrels necessitating the review of hours of camera footage to gain a better understanding of the breeding habits of this species.
Not content with grappling with feisty Blue Tits, two members, Helen and Kenny, undertook some ringing in The Gambia, all be it at different times, and discovered the delights of ringing Vultures.
John Boland began a Water Rail colour ringing project at Stortons in 2023 and at the time of writing six males (white ring) and three females (yellow ring) have been fitted. John has also used his engineering experience to re-engineer the traps to make the trap door work more efficiently and also designed a light system on a pole that illuminates when the trap is triggered thus helping to reduce disturbance at the trap site.
Chris Payne has been working with Couteenhall Estate and gained permission for the group to undertake ringing activities on the site. In addition, Chris has erected a number of Owl boxes and initial inspection of the boxes is looking hopeful for their use this year.
Ian Wrisdale has continued his longstanding CES and standard ringing at Stanwick Lakes and Ian’s detailed report, that he compiles for Natural England, is attached.
Another remarkable landmark is the ringing at Pitsford Reservoir. Dave Francis started ringing nest box pulli in 1982 and it became his main ringing site in 1998. 42 years of data from one site.

In 2023 the group processed a total of 12,076 birds, the highest number since the Covid restrictions reduced our ringing activities.
The Top 5 processed birds in 2023 were;
Blue Tit                 3,201
Great Tit              1,542
Blackcap               1,418
Goldfinch                 742
Chiffchaff                 639

In this years report I have added some new tabs:

NRG nest boxes. This details all the nest box locations, and the group member who is monitoring them. Please let me know if the information is incorrect or if you put up any new boxes in 2024.
NRG sites. This details the sites that are recorded on DemOn for the group and include many that were imported from IPMR (pre DemOn). I have indicated where action is required to better define the geometry of the site, or whether two similar sites could be merged. Please let me know if you can identify an exact area that the ringing was undertaken, rather than the standard 1km square e.g. Blisworth.
Controls. I have entered all the species that have been Controlled from the paper records that I have but the earliest I have is 2007.

Group members now compile a number of reports aimed at providing land owners and agencies  with details of the activities undertaken.

Pitsford Reservoir.                                            Dave Francis.
Stanwick Lakes.                                                 Ian Wrisdale.
Linford Lakes Nature Reserve.                     Kenny Cramer.
Stortons Nature Reserve.                              John Boland.
Brixworth Water Treatment Works.          Helen Franklin.
Chase Park Farm.                                              Nick Wood.
The Falcon Hotel.                                              Nick Wood.

Notable Controls in 2023.
Redwing. 17.10.23 Reddingsway, Schlermonnikoog. Holland.
                  17.11.23 Harrington Airfield.
                   Duration. 31 days. Distance 487km.

Chaffinch.10.11.20 Berendrecht, Antwerpen. Holland
                   10.2.23 Scaldwell Village. Northamptonshire
                    Duration. 822 days Distance 373km.

Notable Recoveries in 2023.
Redwing. 11.12.21 Harrington Airfield.
                  11.2.23 Mata de Lobos, Guarda. Portugal.
                   Duration. 427 days. Distance 1,357km – Sadly this bird was shot.
Blackcap. 3.9.22 Linford Lakes Nature Reserve.
                  19.4.23 Lyste Buorren, Friesland. Holland
                   Duration 228 days Distance 473km
Blackcap.  2.10.23 Harrington Airfield.
                   10.10.23 Plaisance, Charente-Maritime. France
                    Duration 8 days Distance 723km

  

 Nick Wood
Secretary Northants Ringing Group.
29.1.24