Eager to ring a couple of birds, myself and Ian, spurred on by the recent C permit approvals made our way to a local park to try to grab a gull or two. We waited and watched a man mobbed by Herring Gulls whilst he fed them only to try ourselves and have all the birds disappear.
We ended the morning birdless.
In the Afternoon I again tried to catch birds, this time at my prime ringing spot, Stanley Park. Here the birds are fed by passers by and their children all day, everyday so the birds here are more used to scraps of bread!
With many birds showing interest in my offerings I decided I would pick a particular bird and catch it. Having so much choice doesn't happen often so you have to take your opportunities. The result; one very angry handful.
1st Winter Herring Gull
I also managed to catch 1 Black-headed Gull and 1 Coot before having to clean up and go to work.
Wednesday again a free hour around lunchtime I decided to try my luck at Fairhaven. Far too windy to catch birds by hand today as they were coming no way near close. Instead I had an audience, the audience included the birds below.
JON8 was first ringed in Oslo, April 2011
It has spent the winter 2011/12 around Fairhaven Lake 1078 Km away from it's original ringing site.
JHZ2
I am,as yet unsure of the origins of this bird (The same project maybe)
It just goes to show how much you can do in 1 hour and how valuable colour-ringing is to the re-sighting of ringed birds.
