Yellow-legged Gull at Leadenham

Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis with Herring and Great Black-Backed on 27th Dec 2011.

BTO BBS Training - Volunteers Needed

Leadenham Great Black-backed Gull

Great Black-backed Gull
CR-Code Black ring with white code: JA510 LBNW(JA510);RBM
Ringing Centre Stavanger Museum (Norway) Ring number 3023010
Species Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
Sex Unknown Age Pullus

Date Place Coordinates Observers Days/km/°
09.07 2008 Herreholmen, Lyngdal, Vest-Agder, Norway 58°02'02"N 006°57'51"E Hansen, Tor Oddvar -
14.12 2011 Leadenham Rubbish Tip, Lincolnshire, Great Britain 53°03'38"N 000°33'48"W Chick, Andrew 1253/728/223

Russian Great Black-backed at Leadenham

RING NUMBER Moskwa ES-14 633 plus markers KF24 white plast. ring
SPECIES Larus marinus
AGE pull
RINGING DATE 10.07.2010
PROVINCE Russia, Murmansk O.
RINGING PLACE Kandalakshskiy Nature Reserve, Severnoe lesnichestvo, isl. Lunnye
COORDINATES 67.05 N 32.29 E

---------------------------------------------------------------------
FINDING DATE 02.12.2011
PROVINCE Great Britain, Lincolnshire
FINDING PLACE Leadenham Tip
COORDINATES 53.04 N 0.34 W
FINDING Larus marinus, 1 y
DETAILS sight record colour mark
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DISTANCE 2339 km DIRECTION 229 degrees ELAPSED TIME 510 days

George Osborne review of environmental spending

Since becoming Chancellor, George Osborne has implemented a review of environmental spending, supported scrapping the ‘red tape’ that protects the natural environment, and called for the reform of England’s planning system. It’s clear that short-term economic growth is his priority, but there is a real danger that might come at the expense of the natural world that sustains us.

In his autumn statement Osborne referred to the Habitats Regulations, which ensure major developments don’t destroy our most precious wildlife sites, as a ‘ridiculous cost on British business’ and claimed that they amounted to ‘gold plating’ on European legislation.

Secretary of State for Environment, Caroline Spelman, recently stated that the natural environment underpins global economic performance. She had good reason to sound authoritative; she has the weight of evidence from some of the most authoritative research compiled in recent times to back her up.

GB from Norway at Leadenham

Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus

Seen Leadenham Tip on 1st December 2011


Last CR-Code Black ring with white code: JH425 LBNW(JH425);RBM
CR-Code Pale blue ring with black code: JB84 LBPN(JB84);RBM
Ringing Centre Stavanger Museum (Norway) Ring number 384484
Species Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
Sex Unknown Age Pullus

Date Place Coordinates Observers Days/km/°
19.06 1997 Storøy, Mandal, Vest-Agder, Norway Jåbekk, Runar
25.07 2001 Årøy, Mandal, Vest-Agder, Norway Flesjå, Inge
26.07 2001 Årøy, Mandal, Vest-Agder, Norway Flesjå, Inge
11.06 2002 Brennevinsmyra, Mandal, Vest-Agder, Norway Helberg, MortenJørgensen,
04.06 2003 Brennevinsmyra, Mandal, Vest-Agder, Norway Jørgensen, Finn
Colour mark replaced: Black ring with white code: JH425 LBNW(JH425);RBM
28.06 2011 Brennevinsmyra, Mandal, Vest-Agder, Norway Helberg, Morten
20.08 2011 Maløya Torland, Klaus Helberg, Morten
01.12 2011 Leadenham Rubbish Tip, Lincolnshire, Great Britain Chick, Andrew




xxx

Urgent: We need your help to save our marine wildlife

We need your help to save our marine wildlife


Manx Shearwater - June 2011 Image Andrew P. Chick


Adult Kittiwake - Sept 2011 Image Andrew P. Chick


Risso's Dolphin Sept 2011 - Image Andrew P. Chick

Urgent: We need your help to save our marine wildlife

We are in danger of losing three-quarters of our Marine Conservation Zones before they've even been designated.

The long-awaited network of marine protected areas, promised by Government for 2012, is in danger. Please help by telling Minister Richard Benyon that you care about our seas and want 127 Marine Conservation Zones.

After two years of consultation with more than one million stakeholders including fishermen, conservationists and businesses, 127 Marine Conservation Zones were recommended to Government. These zones are a network throughout our seas, representing different habitat types and protecting many species, and include six sites off the Lincolnshire coast. Now Government has lost its direction and is proposing to over-ride the recommendations of local people and cut the 127 sites down to just 30.

We need you to write to Under-Secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries, Richard Benyon MP, in support of Marine Conservation Zones. We would be very grateful if you could write to the Minister highlighting your concerns. Please write today. A template letter is included in this email.

Paul Learoyd, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Chief Executive, said: "With Wildlife Trusts all around the UK, we are lobbying hard for the successful completion of a process that will make the difference between the life or death of our seas. We need to demonstrate the weight of public support for Marine Conservation Zones to Government. This is a once in a lifetime chance. We can't afford to let it slip away."

Thank you for your help.

Please let us know when you've written by emailing rshaw@lincstrust.co.uk

Please send the template letter to:

-------------------------------------------------
Richard Benyon MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Defra
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR

Email: richard@richardbenyon.com


* * * * * * * * * *
Template Letter


I am writing to urge you to take forward all 127 Marine Conservation Zones next year.

As a supporter of The Wildlife Trusts' Petition Fish campaign, I have been encouraged by the all-party support for the Marine Act and your personal commitment to Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) designation.

I was also encouraged to see the network of 127 MCZs proposed by stakeholders this summer. Each MCZ is vital on its own but they are even more important together to help our seas become some of the most productive and wildlife-rich on Earth.

I share the belief expressed by The Wildlife Trusts that all 127 MCZs must be designated. Reducing the number of MCZs risks losing essential protection for marine species and habitats.

You have an unprecedented opportunity to allow marine conservation to catch up with the great strides made on land. There has never been a more crucial or opportune moment to put in place the protection our seas so urgently need.

Barn Owls - 26th Sept 2011

Barn Owls - 26th Sept 2011 - Live images at http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/owlcam.html

Yellow-legged Gull's at Leadenham

One of two Yellow-legged Gull's at Leadenham this afternoon.



And, a 1st Winter Great Black Backed Gull sporting a colour ring

Details:

CR-Code Black ring with white code: JW131 LBNW(JW131);RBM
Ringing Centre Copenhagen (Denmark) Ring number 3092617
Species Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
Sex Unknown Age Pullus Date 30.06 2010 (--:--) Accurate to the day
Place Græsholm, Hirsholmene, Frederikshavn, Nordjylland, Denmark - 57°29'32"N 010°36'30"E
Condition Alive and probably healthy and released by a ringer
Circumstances Intentionally by man - other means (includes trapped, poisoned, ring number read in field etc.). All captures (=ringing data) and recaptures (caught and released).
Hunted, trapped, poisoned intentionally by man (NB: not shot).
Ringer(s) Haupt, Matthias - Pedersen, Kjeld Tommy -

Species Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
Sex Unknown Age 2 cy+ Date 23.09 2011 (12:00) Accurate to the day
Place Leadenham Rubbish Tip, Lincolnshire, Great Britain - 53°03'38"N 000°33'48"W
Condition Alive and probably healthy
Bird identified from coloured or numbered legring(s).
450 Days, 861 km, 239°

Horncastle Barn Owls - 23rd Sept 2011

A short video taken on the 23rd Sept 2011 at approx. 1130am. To see live images see - http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/owlcam.html

Horncastle Barn Owls - 21st Sept 2011

Mother and Chick's

Raven - Leadenham Tip 19th Sept 2011

Some what over shadowed by the Sabine's Gull, this common raven was a 1st for Leadenham Tip on the 19th Sept 2011. It didn't stay around long, and wasn't seen again....

Sabine's Gull - At Leadenham Tip

A nice find at my local patch - BUT Graham Catley does sum this find up rather well at http://pewit.blogspot.com/2011/09/hardly-dare-say-sabines-gull.html

Daubenton's Bats, Myotis daubentonii leaving a roost in Lincolnshire

Some footage of Daubenton's Bats, Myotis daubentonii leaving a roost in Lincolnshire.

2007-11 Bird Atlas Survey Results - Peter Overton West Lincolnshire

2007-11 Bird Atlas Survey Results - Peter Overton West Lincolnshire
Saturday 24th September 2011 10.30-1.30

This is an outdoor social event with a talk. Welbourn, Lincolnshire LN5 0QH. If you come earlier, there will be time to explore this award-winning conservation area before the talk. Weather permitting, ringing demonstrations will take place from 9am.
Please book for lunch numbers - click here.

Morning coffee and Lunch included £12

Organised by the Society of Biology (East Midlands Branch)
British Trust for Ornithology (Lincolnshire)

See http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/Articles/2011_Birds_and_brunch_Summer_event.pdf

Barn Owl Video - 14th September 2011

The chick's are growing very fast - video recorded 14th September 2011

Lincs Barn Owl Videos

Mother and chick's on the 13th September 2011



Mother and chick's on the 9th September 2011

For more details see http://lincsbarnowls.blogspot.com/and live images at http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/owlcam.html.

New Barn Owl Webcam - Sept 2011

New Barn Owl webcam setup on a 2nd brood in Horncastle, Lincolnshire. Follow the story at http://lincsbarnowls.blogspot.com/ and live images at http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/owlcam.html.

This webcam has been setup by the Lincolnshire Bird Club, with support from Northern Optic who sponsored the equipment used to run the Lincolnshire Barn Owl project. More details on Northern Optics can be found at http://www.northernoptics.co.uk/.

Common Pipistrelle recordings Aug 2011

Noctule Bat Recordings - Aug 2011

Marston STW - Pec Sandpiper

A nice bird at the local patch today.

The Pectoral Sandpiper at Martson STW is now the third bird record at the site.

The other birds being:

Marston STW 30th August 1964
Marston STW 29th August 1989 (G. Priestley, A. Ball)
Marston STW 3rd September 2011 (Dave Roberts et al)

Noctule Feeding Buzz

The BTO Atlas in Lincolnshire - The final weeks....

Many Atlas supporters have been hard at work since the breeding season commenced and the ttv coverage for the county is now virtually completed. The key task left is to confirm as many species breeding in each 10km square as possible. 

So how are we doing in this respect in Lincs? Here is a graphic showing those square in yellow where we have yet to reach the 75% target for breeding species confirmed. The number in each square is the number of species that need to be confirmed to hit the 75% target. We are doing pretty well compared to adjacent counties and 36 of our 79 squares are already over 75%. A further 12 are within 5 species.

We are now getting down to the wire with only a few weeks left to confirm breeding. Please check out what species are missing in your local squares by clicking on "My local gaps" on the the BTO Atlas homepage and then chase down the missing species. Its great fun and will add an extra enjoyable dimension to your birding. There are still many unconfirmed common birds, particularly warblers and now is a great time to confirm most species. If you need any guidance on using the website and adding records please contact your BTO regional representative (http://btolincs.blogspot.com/).

Heres to some good birding and some excellent coverage for Lincs when the Atlas book is published in just udner 2 years time."

Noctule Bat Recording - 28th June 2011

A recording of a Noctule Bat - recorded with my Petterson D-240x time-expansion bat detector and recorded onto an Edirol R-09HR digital recorder.

Tetney Lock Tawny Pipit

Linc's White tailed Eagle Map

Quick map showing the movements of the imm White Tailed Eagle between 1st Jan and 13th Apr 2011.

Record Velvet Scoter counts in the Wash

Imm drake Velvet Scoter



Single "White" Scoter (pure albino) in the c1500 mixed flock of scoter



Imm drake Velvet and mixed flock in flight



2 drake Velvet Scoter

Peregrine produces 2nd egg at St Wulfram's Church

The 2nd egg arrived at 28 minutes past midnight on Saturday morning (2nd April), during a very windy night at St Wulfram’s Church. See http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/pegcam.html for live images.



Video still showing a single egg at 00:25hrs on 2nd April 2011



Video still showing TWO eggs at 00:28hrs on 2nd April 2011

St Wulfram's Peregrine first egg - 30th March 2011

The first egg was laid on the 30th March 2011. It's just visible underneath the female in this image. For live images see http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/pegcam.html.

Peregrine Video - 25th March 2011

Peregrine Video - 25th March 2011 from St Wulfram's Church - Grantham



Video - 25th March 2011



Video - 25th March 2011

See http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk for full details.

Grantham Peregrine - Female on the Nest Tray at St Wulfram's Church, Grantham.

See http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/pegcam.html for details on this great project!

Grantham Pergerine Video - 24th March 2011

For full details see http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/pegcam.html



The female Peregrine in the nest tray on the 24th March 2011. (apologies, she just starts to scrap a nest hollow when the recorder stopped!)



The female leaving the nest tray on the 24th March 2011.

Grantham Peregrine Webcam

A close up of the Peregrine kind!

Rookery's Near Fulbeck

The 2009 Lincolnshire Bird Report

The 2009 Lincolnshire Bird Report
See: http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/sales/lbc_09.html

Linc's Local Rookery's - Google Earth

Testing out Google Earth to record Rookery's around Fulbeck.

Clicking on each flag will show the nest count and give more location information.

Good Advice about Lincolnshire's Rare Breeding Birds by Phil Espin

Having recently taken over the role as Rare Breeding Birds Recorder for Lincolnshire from Steve Keightley, I have taken advice on reporting Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and Barn Owl records on the Lincolnshire Bird Club forum. All advice is subject to change. If you have any questions or suggestions please contact me direct at philespin@live.co.uk.

Red Kite
Please do not post any Red Kite sightings between March to July from anywhere south and west of Sleaford (or anywhere else if suspected to be breeding), ALL records should be submitted direct to the relevant County Recorder John Badley in South Lincs and John Clarkson in North Lincs. Records of passage birds on the coast, at sites such as at Frampton Marsh, Gibraltar Point or along the Humber Estuary are fine to appear on the forum.

Peregrine
Records for Peregrine except at monitored 'safe' sites such as Lincoln, Grantham and Louth should be sent direct to the county bird recorder. Records of passage birds on the coast, at sites such as at Frampton Marsh and Gibraltar Point are fine to appear on the forum.

Marsh Harrier
Posting records from reserves with wardens such as Frampton RSPB, Gibraltar Point and Far Ings is not a problem. Records away from these sites should be sent direct to the county bird recorder. When posting, please do not pinpoint breeding sites, for examples “males carrying nesting material seen over the Sea Bank Pits”

Barn Owl
For more ‘commoner' Schedule 1 birds such as Barn Owl, there is not a problem reporting sightings, but you still shouldn't mention anything that would pinpoint a breeding site, for example 'seen regularly taking food into the black barn half way down Little Fen Lane' etc...

Little Egret
Please do not publish any records of breeding Little Egrets, at or near Heronries. Records of birds away from possible nesting sites are fine. Please send all breeding records to the relevant county recorder.

Other Species
A list of the scarcer UK breeding species which are monitored by the Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) is at this link: http://www.rbbp.org.uk. A number of these species breed in Lincolnshire and reporting their presence is not a problem but please do not pinpoint suspected breeding sites.
Any information on these species should be sent to the county recorder along with any details which might confirm breeding. This advice is subject to change and all updates will be posted on the LBC Forum.

If in doubt, please send records direct to county recorder.

COUNTY RECORDERS CONTACT:

North Lincolnshire: John Clarkson
37 Lee Street, Louth, Lincs LN11 9HJ – recorder_north@lincsbirdclub.co.uk

South Lincolnshire: John Badley
c/o RSPB Lincolnshire Wash Reserves, Roads Farmhouse, Frampton Roads, Frampton,
Boston, Lincs PE20 1AY – recorder_south@lincsbirdclub.co.uk

Woolthorpe Manor NT New Barn Owl Box

The new barn owl box at Woolthorpe Manor NT, how could any barn owl not want to live here?



With access to the open countryside below....



And, stunning feeding habitat....

Grantham Peregrine's at the nest tray

The female Peregrine on St Wulfram's Church - 9th March 2011

BTO ‘Birding in Lincs & Notts’ Conference

The upcoming BTO ‘Birding in Lincs & Notts’ Conference will take place on April 16, 2011 at Riseholme College Campus, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN2 2LG. The first BTO conference in the area, this exciting event will combine talks and updates from national BTO surveys such as Bird Atlas 2007-11 and the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) as well as fascinating insights into local RSPB Reserves, all you need to know about nesting and nest boxes, birds of prey in the area and what you might find in a ringers’ mist net.

This event represents a great way of meeting your local BTO Regional Representative, BTO staff from our headquarters in Thetford and BTO members and volunteers. There will also be stalls and displays from local bird clubs and conservation organisations and a first class raffle – how can you afford not to come!

Conference tickets are great value, at only £14.00 per person which includes tea, coffee & biscuits and a buffet lunch so book soon to avoid disappointment! For more information and to book a place, please follow the link below:

http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/Articles/BTO_in_Lincs_&_Notts_Conference.pdf

The 2009 Lincolnshire Bird Report

The 2009 Lincolnshire Bird Report

Now available online at http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/sales/lbc_09.html

In terms of birds, the 2009 report makes interesting reading; the increases in Bitterns, Barn Owls, Little Egrets, Bearded Tits and breeding Red Kites highlights the continued ornithological importance of Lincolnshire. Other interesting birds included a long staying King Eider at Freiston Shore/Witham Mouth, a short staying Terek Sandpiper at Gibraltar Point and a dramatic increase in Cetti’s Warbler records throughout Lincolnshire. It is also interesting to note the increase of records from Frampton Marsh and Alkborough Flats, two recently developed sites, which surely have a very important future ahead of them.

£12.00 Per copy + £1.75 Post & Packing Total costs £13.75




Andrew Chick
Lincolnshire Bird Club

Witham St Hughs Waxwings

Photo of the some of the 18 present on 9th Feb 2011.

Gull City Centre!!

 
The place gulls like to be........ Kirkby on Bain Tip!!

Colour-ringed Gull at Kirkby on Bain

 
Colour-ringed Herring Gull at Kirkby on Bain

LBC AGM - 29th March 2011

 
Lincs Bird Club AGM
The Admiral Rodney, Horncastle
at 7.30pm on Tuesday, March 29th 2011

Lincolnshire’s Birding Frontiers: from the Backyard to the CoastBy Martin Garner
Martin will be talking to the Lincolnshire Bird Club on the opportunities that Lincolnshire’s birders have to push back the frontiers of birding in Lincolnshire. Taking us on a journey from our backyards, to the coast.
Martin’s ornithological writing has included articles for British Birds and Birding World magazines. He is credited with discovering the first British records of Caspian Gull, in Essex in the 1990s. In 1997, with David Quinn and Bob Glover, Martin published a two-part paper in British Birds covering the identification of Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls, which covered the former in far greater detail than any previous published work, and contained the first detailed English-language descriptions of the latter. His first bird-related book, Frontiers in Birding was published by BirdGuides Ltd. in 2008. He is a member of the British Birds Rarities Committee.

Common Redpoll - Fulbeck Jan 29th 2011

 

Common Redpoll - Bourne Jan 2011

 
 
 

Lesser Redpoll and Common Redpoll - Bourne Wood

Grantham Peregrines - Jan 27th 2011

Welcome to the Grantham Peregrine Blog 2011! The nesting tray has been returned to the tower of St Wulfram's Church, and it is hoped that the Peregrine's themself will return soon.

Lesser Redpolls in Fulbeck

 
 
 
A male and female bird caught on the 9th Jan 2011