C-R reporting and me

Bev and I are both struggling to shake some type of virus/bug thingy which has left us in pretty poor shape. There does seem to be a lot of it about, locally, as quite a few guys in the factory and girls in Bev's darts team have also been suffering with similar symptoms.  Like a true soldier, I've not missed a shift, but have to admit that's because I'm far happier doing something rather than, moping about, indoors, feeling sorry for myself! If I'm well enough to go to work, then I can get outside, however, fishing wasn't an option because I couldn't cope with extended exposure to the elements! Choosing to get down to Ramsgate Harbour, to year tick the Iceland Gull, was a deliberate decision by which to, best, utilize my free time. What I couldn't have known was that I would stumble upon a C-R (colour-ringed) gull which would add to the the newly rediscovered enthusiasm for birds and birding. It only took an e-mail exchange with Paul Roper (North Thames Gull Group) to re-open another avenue of birding involvement. Reporting the sightings of birds with coloured leg rings (bands if you're from The USA) via the cyber network is a very simple, yet scientifically sound, method of data gathering and it's fun! Over the past couple of decades, colour ringing schemes have risen to the forefront as a method of avian movement recording as they no longer require a recapture, or a corpse, for the ring details to be recorded.

The first recorded sighting of a Canadian C-R Turnstone in Kent - yep! that was me.

I've been reporting colour ringed birds since first becoming aware of this ringing development in 2003. Over the years I have been exceptionally fortunate to have discovered some fantastic birds, complete with their coloured plastic bracelets and, by reporting them, made a contribution to the database that is human understanding of our natural world - so a very one dimensional perspective.
After seeing that Herring Gull in Ramsgate Harbour I knew that there was another C-R Herring Gull present by the Fuji factory in Pyson's Road. I made the effort to get over to record the ring details and, much to the amusement of that section of factory "lowlifes" who require a nicotine fix to make it through an eight hour shift, did just that! G4FT (click the code) is another bird from the North Thames Gull Project.

Crop full of "Kingsmill" this bird has been present beyond the factory perimeter for a few weeks.

I'm going to stick with this birding side show. Some of these projects have turned up outstanding information about movements of species and, even more importantly, the speed and distances which they are able to travel in very short time periods. I have already posted the links for the Herring Gulls  and will do the same for any other birds I am able to discover. Recovered enough to get out this morning for a session at Iden Lock on The Royal Military, I was on my way before 05.00 hrs. Only because I'd traveled all that way did I bother to stay. It was utter chaos. The water in full flood, carrying loads of colour and associated debris, the icing on the cake provided by the bloody eels! I stubbornly stuck to my task until 09.15 hrs before admitting defeat and heading back homeward. It was not a total waste of time as I recorded two adult Whooper Swans high overhead, heading north, just as I was packing up - result! Now, with time on my side, I thought it might be a good idea to call in at the harbour to look for the Snow Buntings (bloody twitcher!). Nothing doing, didn't even see the Iceland Gull but didn't feel particularly bothered. I was on my way back to the car I stumbled upon a C-R Shag, which was fishing the small channel between the Marina and Outer Harbour. Very active, it required the camera to ensure I recorded the ring details. A quick search through EURING provided the link to the project co-ordinator and, as such, ring details submitted.

Mark Newell will hopefully provide the information associated with this particular individual and I will attach the link when I have received the relevant details. LCJ - (click code for details when they show yellow!)