Under Rydon Hill

Welcome to this blog about my time away from the tedium of domestic management. Once called "Tits and Things", now sub-titled "Life in Quantoxia", there's plenty of bird ringing (90%), some odd bits of general birding, some local steam trains, some personal bits and occasional 'away days' in other parts of Britain. Rydon Hill overlooks the lower valley of the Doniford Stream, where most of these activities take place.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Sixteen years ago ...

Sixteen years ago, well, actually, 16y 3d ago, was the last time I ringed any Swallows on my own rings. The last handling of the said species was three years ago, to the day, on the BTO Gibraltar Point ringing course in 2008. Trainers just assist with the extraction so I doubt if I got round to ringing any.

Before being dragged off to Morrisons for the weekly shop, I shot down to the newly cut and baled meadows and put up four single panel nets. The day was much sunnier and a lot less windier than yesterday, when the hirundines were flying very low and reaping the benefit of the recently disturbed insects. I waited until I heard a Swallow calling over the garden as they are generally late risers hereabouts and then spend the post dawn period at some height, catching arial insects.


However, I persevered for about an hour from 8 o'clock. Typically, two of the four nets, Jap of course, now need repairing as one or other of the strings has come adrift. Out with the 'superglue' some other time! One bird did get caught but, as it was travelling down-wind, it made the effort as I approached closely and flitted. Ten minutes later, an adult male flew into the wind - and the net - and became the 36th species ringed at the site.


So, there you have it! Craving satisfied!

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