NORTHUMBRIA RINGING GROUP 50th Anniversary Report Editors John Day & Ian Kerr Alan Hart Northumbria Ringing Group 50th Anniversary Report Editors: John Day & Ian Kerr Newcastle upon Tyne 2014 Front cover photograph: Kestrel hunting at Boulmer. Paul Galloway © Northumbria Ringing Group 2014 CONTENTS Title Author Page Introduction John Day & Ian Kerr 7 50th anniversary celebrations Ian Kerr 8 Historical overview Mike Nattrass & Bryan Galloway 10 Group photograph Ian Fisher 13 List of members, associates and friends Mike Nattrass & Bryan Galloway 14 1963 – 2012 NRG annual ringing totals Bryan Galloway 16 1963 – 2012 NRG species ringing totals Bryan Galloway 17 1963 – 2012 SPECIES ACCOUNTS Barn Owl Keith Brooks & John Steele 24 Blackbird Steve Anderson 28 Common Sandpiper John Richardson & John Day 30 Crested Tit Steve Anderson 34 Dipper John Richardson 36 Goldcrest John Day 40 Goosander Bryan Galloway & Brian Little 42 Grey Heron Ian Kerr 46 Kestrel Ian Kerr 48 Merlin Bryan Galloway & Mike Nattrass 50 Merlin in Co. Durham Mike Nattrass 53 Pied Flycatcher Anne Middleton 58 Reed Warbler Ian Fisher 64 Robin John Day 70 Roseate Tern Tom Cadwallender 74 Sedge Warbler Alan Johnston 78 Siskin Michael Holmes 84 Sparrowhawk Bryan Galloway 86 Storm Petrel Ian Fisher 88 Swallow Richard Barnes 92 Tawny Owl Mike Carr 100 Tufted Duck Andrew Rickeard 104 Selected ringing recoveries Bryan Galloway 106 John Steele REFERENCES List of publications and papers John Day 108 relating to the Group’s study area by NRG members, associates and friends THANKS TO EVERYONE 119 Introduction INTRODUCTION A 50th anniversary is a highlight for any organisation and a just cause for celebration. That sentiment lies behind the decision to publish this short but we hope informative report about just a few of the species which have engaged the Northumbrian Ringing Group since its formation. Much has changed over that period. Species such a Montagu’s Harrier and, to a large extent, Hen Harrier, which excited us so much in earlier days, have come and gone. Others have remained, including Merlin, the subject of our longest continuous study as well as Goosander and Tawny Owl. Passerines, such as breeding Pied Flycatcher and Swallow and migrants, including autumn thrushes and warblers, have engaged us throughout. Peregrine and Raven are two examples of species which have, thankfully, come back from the brink during the group’s lifetime to excite all who regularly come into contact with them. New breeding species have arrived with Avocet, Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Goshawk and Red Kite and who, 50 years ago, could ever have imaged that Buzzard would revive and spread to become one of our commonest raptors? All of these species and many more have been the subject of our efforts to catch, ring and discover more about their movements and life-styles. We don’t suppose anyone could ever calculate the amount of time members have spent walking the hills and moors, checking valleys, forest, woodland, farmland and the coast, oblivious to seasons or weather conditions, in the quest for birds to ring. Or, for that matter, how many days have been devoted to working the traps and nets at Hauxley and at Constant Effort Sites, in addition to regular working party days to keep everything in good repair. Just a few of the results of all this tremendous effort are highlighted in this publication. The species accounts are individual efforts. Although we suggested a format, as editors, we have to a large extent encouraged writers to present accounts based on their own experience and to include the odd anecdote or two. We have not tried too much to standardise the accounts in the belief that variety adds to the value of the publication - and we hope that you agree. Ringing is a highly technical and scientific activity. However, this report in no way seeks to be a scientific or technical publication but rather a celebration of ringing in the region during the past five decades. The group has inevitably changed over 50 years, new members being essential to any organisation. But an examination of the photograph taken outside the Manor House Hotel, Holy Island, on our 25th anniversary shows just how many present then are still very actively involved in ringing both in the region and other areas, particularly Scotland. They might be older and greyer but their enthusiasm remained undimmed. We would like to thank everyone for their tremendous efforts; the authors of the species accounts, John Steele for his delightfully evocative drawings and everyone who provided photographs. We are also very grateful to Paul Galloway for his hard work and expertise with the layout of this publication and to the Northumberland and Tyneside Bird Club for their generous financial support. John Day & Ian Kerr Goldcrest at Whittle Wood CES Paul Galloway 7 Northumbria Ringing Group 50th Anniversary Celebrations 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS Away from Hauxley, other old slides showed members, many of them looking incredibly youthful, in other ringing activities, some stranger than others. There was Goosander netting on various rivers, nest box work, the building The first half century of the group was celebrated in great style with a party for more than 60 members and guests of artificial nests for Merlins (failure), Long-eared Owls (successful even when age and weather left just the wire at Gosforth Civic Hall on October 6th 2013. netting base) and the planting with grass and heather of bare cliff ledges for Peregrine (very successful). There was also the lugging of incredibly heavy old wooden ladders over miles of moorland to reach Kestrels, something The get-together enabled guests to greet old friends and to catch up on family gossip and talk over ringing and I remember only too well! birding in general and tell many a tale of deeds past, not just in Northumberland but across the rest of Britain and other parts of the world. Not to mention talk about expanding waistlines, white hair, or lack of it! In less than an hour – although he’d promised 15 minutes – Bryan managed to give an illustrated history spanning the entire 50 years of the group. It was wonderful to see so many old friends, some of whom had travelled long distances. Eric Meek made the trip south from Orkney, Ian Newton arrived from Lincolnshire, Dick Temple and John Ginnever from Yorkshire, A thought-provoking presentation on the next 50 years followed from two younger members, Phil Bolam and his Alan Heavisides and Ian Poxton from Edinburgh and Chris Ward from west Cumbria. fiancé Rike Kroener. Questions they posed covered environmental losses to development, less public cash for the countryside in general and climate change and its effects on birds. Would, for example, we lose northern species Being an event for ringers, the bar did a brisk trade and then after an hour of general socialising the company including Meadow Pipit and Curlew? Would we gain new colonists such as Cetti’s Warblers with perhaps Hoopoe settled down and enjoyed a pleasant meal before the evening’s main events. become a regular target for ringers? Brian Little Ian Newton Phil Bolam & Rike Kroener Photographs by Ian Fisher Brian Little gave the welcoming address, even managing, to general hilarity and amazement, to keeping to his On a lighter note, Rike caused laughter while expressed her frustration during quiet spells at the nets of having to allotted slot of five minutes. Ian Newton followed, not so much in his role as chairman of the British Trust for listen to ceaseless talk of that English obsession, cricket, which, coming from Germany, she couldn’t understand. Ornithology but more as a long-standing friend, field worker and great supporter of the group. He recalled how his constant requests for data always met with an enthusiastic response and had greatly helped with publications Eric Bird thanked the group for putting on such a splendid event and then entertained, in his own inimitable such as his landmark Poyser title The Sparrowhawk. style, with jokes he claimed he’d inherited from the late Sandy Bankier. Sandy, as everyone who knew him will remember, had an absolutely inexhaustible supply of them. The comment was made by many that, being such a The main presentation was given by Bryan Galloway. The audience were soon in stitches as each old picture party animal, Sandy would have loved the evening and would have been in and out of every conversation. appeared from the early days of the group. Hair styles ranged from National Service short-back-and sides to Sixties and Seventies shoulder-length hippy. Clothing was pretty amazing too, more ex-army than Berghaus, The raffle was then drawn, appropriately for a ringing group, not from the usual standard cardboard box or bucket Regatta, Craghopper and other modern brands. And was the Austin A35 van, the early workhorse of the group, but from one of ‘Rufus’ Smith’s skilfully-crafted nest boxes. The main prize, Alan Hart’s superb painting of a cock really that small and was Eric Meek’s hair really that brilliant red? Merlin, again very appropriate, chasing a couple of Sanderling against a background of the lime kilns and castle on Holy Island, was carried off northwards by Ian Poxton. Bryan led us through the building of the first Heligoland trap and confessed that some of the timber was rather dubiously acquired from sources best left vague. Then there was Brian, short black hair in those days, one hand Finally, by almost midnight, Brian Little thanked everyone for participating in such a wonderfully memorable casually in pocket, taking the first bird from the catching box. The pictures of the ringing huts, the third donated evening.