We are now very much in the breeding season and here are some related images taken over the last two days. The first is of a female Whitethroat which was ringed today. To aid egg incubation feathers are dropped from the belly and blood vessels enlarge just below the skin. This creates the perfect heat generating surface know as the brood patch.
To the right a Skylarks nest showing the run. As you may know Skylarks land away from the nest and then walk in to avoid attracting predator attention. The entrance to this walkway is shown at the bottom of the image, the nest at the top. The now well grown chicks were ringed over a week ago and are just about ready to go walkabout. The first Lapwing chicks were ringed today and another nest was found with four eggs. Also with four eggs each Little Ringed Plover nest (left) and Ringed Plovers nest (right). Although commoner nationally breeding Ringed Plovers are much rarer in Leics so here's hoping they are successful.
All four Little Ringed Plovers from the nest (above left) hatched earlier in the week, all are in good shape and were ringed today. The image (left) speaks for itself. Even at this age the yellow eye ring is already visible. Another ID feature to ensure separation from Ringed Plover (important as they take different ring sizes) is the dark line which runs from the back of the head (the nape) continues over the eye and across the forehead. On Ringed it does not go across the forehead.The Ringed Plover is still sitting anyway so no chance of confusion. Another Lapwing chick was also ringed today.
Very sad news. It appears that all the Little Ringed Plover chicks (2 broods) perished in the cold, wet weather of the last two weeks and although the Ringed Plovers hatched four, only two chicks survived the first three days and two days later they also appear to have died. If only this warm, dry weather had come ten days earlier the story may have been so different. The Little Ringed Plovers are trying again but the Ringed have gone. General mortality has been high at many nests we have attended, for example 6 out of 9 Blue Tits in one nest and in two others 100%, 3 of 5 Blackbirds, 2 of 4 Lapwings etc etc, a poor spring. Some better news, a healthy brood of Tree Sparrows (right) was ringed by Chris Flint last week. At Wanlip S 10 new Reed and 3 new Sedge Warblers were ringed on Saturday.
Several group members were out at the weekend to ring Sand Martins at Wanlip. A total of 78 were ringed which is excellent news bearing in mind that some years this site has been abandoned before breeding has been accomplished. It is however a place where Hobbies have been seen this year so no doubt there will be some attrition.
Also ringed today four Swallow chicks. It is remarkable that these almost blind, helpless individuals (right) will be crossing the Sahara in three months time.
25th June 2006
More excellent news on the Sand Martin front, another 51 ringed yesterday near Ibstock including 14 juveniles. Also ringed there a juvenile Grasshopper Warbler, rare confirmatrion of successful breeding.
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