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Posts from the ‘Ornithology’ Category

Mar 3

I wish I was special

Treecreeper on tree trunk
Treecreeper, Certhia familiaris © Derek Griffin

During our weekly bird survey, Steve Wilson a fellow member of the Conservation and Wildlife Action Group (CWAG) spotted this lovely Treecreeper Certhia familiaris resting on the trunk of a tree, just a few yards from where we were gathered. It’s not often you get the opportunity to see one this close up, they’re usually much higher up in the canopy.

The somewhat ‘mouse-like’ Treecreeper uses its long stiff tail feathers for added support as it creeps its way up a tree trunk looking for insects. Starting low down on the trunk it works its way to the top in a spiral. It then floats like a feather* to the next tree and starts the process again. We got lucky when we found this one at the start of its climb. Spotting us it froze momentarily, giving photographer Derek Griffin the opportunity to capture this terrific image.

It brings back memories of when I was learning to be a bird-ringer. My ever-patient and aptly-named trainer John Swallow would ask that we check each one thoroughly just in case we’d found a vagrant Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla. It’s tricky to separate the two species as plumage differences are very slight and measurements overlap but there are consistent differences in the pattern of the wing. I believe our native Treeceeper is also warmer and more spotted above, whiter below, has a shorter bill and a whiter stripe above the eye (the supercilium). Of course much of this is subjective and wasn’t much use to a somewhat nervous novice ringer like me. However, the ratio between the hind claw and bill is diagnostic which meant I had to carefully measure the length of these, something I remember the bird strongly objecting to.

* With apologies to the magnificent Radiohead and their fabulous song Creep

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Jun 9

Mystery bird

Icterine warbler, Hippolais icterina

Hippolais icterina

Early on Saturday morning I extracted this little beauty from the mist nets at our constant effort site (CES) near the River Kennet in Berkshire. At first glance, and from the location, you could be forgiven for thinking that this spring migrant that has flown all the way from sub-saharan Africa to southern England looks like a yellow Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus but its wings are far too long at 79mm.

It has the look of a Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus or a Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix but it’s too big to be the former and rather too yellow to be the latter and lacks the prominent eye-stripe (supercilium) of both.

Have you guessed yet? After consulting our copy of Svensson, triple-checking the biometrics; wing length, margination, wing-point, wing-formula etc. Quickly taking reference photos and a quick call to our trainer, we concluded that it’s actually a rather rare (for southern England) Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina.

Dec 18

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Squeaky gate

Bullfinch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, male

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

A few of you have been kind enough to enquire how my bird-ringing training is coming along. That’s bird-banding if you are reading this in North America or Australia.

Well after gaining my T-permit (training permit) from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) in April things got off to a pretty good start, particularly at the constant effort site (CES) but unfortunately illness in August and September meant I had to take a short break. However, since October things have picked up again.

The stars are of course the birds. The male Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula is a particular favourite of mine. In fact I really love this bird and it always gladdens my heart when I see one in the countryside, or rarely in my garden, so it is a real privilege to be able to hold one in my hand.

It’s still early days for me of course and it’ll probably take me a couple more years before I can apply for my C-permit.

As for the title of this post, it is a reference to the song of the male Bullfinch, part of which is thought to sound like a squeaky gate. Have a listen here although the relentless ‘chiffing’ of the Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita in the background makes it difficult. However, the critical note is right at the beginning at 00:02 and repeated again at 00:14.