Venus Pool - Oystercatcher Re-sighting

A noisy minute or two kicked off when the resident Oystercatcher pair took exception to another Oyk on their territory! The VP male chased the 'interloper' in my direction so I got ready for a flight shot? It turned out to be my lucky day as I captured several nice images!

Checking out the images that evening, I didn't expect to see rings but there they were on the interloper! A quick search on the web confirmed the correct Ringing Group I had picked (Devon and Cornwall) specialised in ringing Oystercatchers! We were in business :-)

I had luckily got some half decent views of the legs in flight (Left: small Dark Blue over metal ring and Right: small yellow over White CT on dark blue ring). Here's the landing shots...

And with some lucky angles the main ring and number (White CT on Dark Blue)

This Oystercatcher was ringed at Dawlish Warren, Exe estuary (age unknown) - Devon on 2nd October 2021.

There were nine re-sightings there between 18th Dec 2021 - 5th August 2023.

A short 'move' to Starcross, Devon seen on 30th Dec 2023

Finally, his untimely arrival and departure at Venus Pool 10th April 2024 

Will be interesting to see where he's seen next?? Will he return to Dawlish Warren?

I'll check out the website from time to time.... https://www.dcwrg.org.uk/index.php/recoveries/oystercatcher/bird/GBT-FJ28690

Venus Pool - Golden Plovers

Golden Plovers are like 'Hens Teeth' at Venus Pool and the only sightings I've previously had were back in the period 29 Oct - 1 Nov 2009 when a flock of c1000 were feeding in nearby fields then dropping into VP for a wash / drink. 

Early afternoon saw a more restrained invasion with 34 present on the shingle island!

The nervous flock of Lapwings were doing their usual panic flights and this drew the Plovers into following the crowd! Some returned dropping in the water before flying again. 

Their last fly-about turned into a departure - great opportunity for flight shots!

Getting a bit tangled up here...

There was one ringed bird (T13 above knee, red and silver below). Almost certain to be courtesy of Tony Cross? We shall see and I'll update accordingly...

Hope if doesn't take another 15 years the next visitors...

Edgerley - Whooper Swans inc JZH

Two families of Whooper Swans were settled in a field opposite the Royal Hill pub today, found by John Reeves. They were in two 'loose' family groups: 2ad + 3juv and 2ad + 1juv mid morning. Another one dropped in, making 9 in total. One of the adults was wearing a yellow darvic ring and despite them being 300m + distant, I did my best to get a meaningful image of the details?

Two adults plus one juvenile...

Two adults plus three juveniles...

Adult which dropped in to make nine in total...

Here's the best I could do to decipher the ring letters which are JZH

This is a returning adult which I photographed in flight during the winter of 2019/20 on 19th Jan 2020. For more info

see here.

Venus Pool - 20 yo Curlew (metal ring)

Getting a decent pic of the colour ringed (LU) Curlew at Venus Pool was easy-peasy. During mid November another ringed bird (this time bearing just a metal ring) was seen by Dave Chapman and myself. Reading the ring number would be a difficult task to say the least however! I'd got loads of images to trawl through, little thinking I could clinch the full ring number but I had a go...

The first part of the code?  P490...

The number 4 clearly follows... P4904

And then add on a 7... P49047

This image shows clearly '47' is the final part of the code... The only digit missing is an F at the start which denotes the ring size!

And here's the proud wearer of the ring FP49047 seen at Venus Pool on a few occasions in mid November. A Curlew now proven to be some 20 years old !! Ringed at Wood Lane Quarry before the dawn of colour ringing. 

With colours and large letters, ringing recoveries are so much easier nowadays but the reporting rate is still somewhat infrequent!

Venus Pool - Colour ringed Curlew

Two Curlews have been present and seen regularly on the reserve since the end of July. They were initially stand offish but showing much better now. Their 'close' behaviour suggested that the 'resident' pair were an item but todays events suggest that may not be the case? Today they were joined by a colour ringed bird and I spent an hour or so trying to get any clear letters on the Darvic rings.

Here he is and shall we call him Lu?

He is 'LU' actually and was ringed in July 2018 at a site on the Stiperstones after being released there as a hand reared chick...

Here's the all important left leg yellow ring 'LU'. I spent ages photographing him hoping to reveal letters on the right leg orange ring? I now realise this local scheme uses a blank orange Darvic ring on the right leg. I guess that colour is more eyecatching?

Getting on nicely with the locals...

But what about our friends at RAF Shawbury with yet another helicopter flying over the reserve. Aren't flying birds an aviation risk?

Most of the pool including the Curlews took flight!

Farewell for now...

The only other sightings since being ringed were at Shatterford near Bewdley in April 2021 and more recently (but not formally registered sightings) at Upton Warren.

And as for 'events' this ringed Curlew seems to be hanging around with one of the twosome to the exclusion of the other! We shall see what happens...

Venus Pool - Little Egret (ringed)

There were just two Little Egret present at Venus Pool today and one of them was colour ringed (J6) see colour scheme below. This one rung a bell that I'd seen it before?  An upload it to the BTO and we have a result...

Here's the combination, nicely visible with quite a few keepers!

I'm grateful to Barry Trevis for getting back to me with data! Make your sighting count! Some interesting travels are unveiled.

Ringed in the nest as one of a brood of two on 20 June 2020 on the south island at Verulamium Lake, St Albans, Herts.

 14 July 2020  - seen on the same island having fledged the nest

 7 July 2021 - re-sighted at Fairburn Ings Nature Reserve, near Castleford, West Yorkshire

 24 October 2021 - Venus Pool, Shrewsbury

 17 November 2021 - Venus Pool

 21 November 2021 - Venus Pool

 8 July 2022 - Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston

 20 October 2022 - Venus Pool (your latest observation)

Melverley Floods - Whooper Swan JZH

It was late afternoon and urged on by the territorial Mute Swans, a small group of four Whooper Swans opted to move on and keep the peace! We all seemed to spot the flash of a yellow once airborne and I think we all locked onto this individual in the hope of having a legible image?

Whatever, departing swans  always make for interesting action!

An having locked onto the ringed bird, now much closer, the ring was clearly visible on zooming in...

See what I mean! Nice one JZH!

Rings always have the potential to tell a story and for JZH it's a fairly short one for now. Initially ringed as an adult on 13th Jan 2018 in mid Wales at Llyn Mawr, it's hopefully going to be seen again? Even better back at it's breeding grounds?

Lossie Estuary - Osprey AN3 once more

Ended up at Lossiemouth again (I just love the place) unpredictable but the Ospreys and waders rarely disappoint? First off is a repeat showing from Osprey 'AN3'... Despite a bit of blue sky initially, I always seemed to have white sky as a backdrop!

But at least the wind was in the right direction, allowing a hovering bird to orientate head on!

Unable to locate fish, it was try and try again until moving over the dunes or lower down the estuary?

If you're wondering why I do this, the shot taken today at distance below is what I'm after (but much closer). I want it the hard way too, whilst enjoy watching all the activity that goes on here... and not spending megabucks at a staged hide... It's not much to ask for, if I live long enough?

One more session here to come? At least it's normally dry?!