DINGLE BIRD CLUB Ringing Report for 1971 THE ringing total reflects the absence of regulär week-end ringers during the months of June to October. It also shows a great reduction in the numbers of resident birds ringed. With the price of rings increasing yearly one has to balance the value of information gained against cost. It becomes apparent that it is no longer "profitable" to ring resident birds which have been ringed in great numbers over the years. A great deal of information is known about these species and very little can be gained by unlimited ringing. Most of the trapping was carried out in the reedbeds and quite a high proportion of the totals list is made up of bearded tits, reed and sedge warblers. Bearded tits were particularly successful and a number of recoveries at Oulton Broad resulted; there were also recoveries at Minsmere. The best recovery of the year was a lapwing caught at Blythburgh in August, 1967, and recovered in Spain in January, 1971. Perhaps the bird walked there! This was improved upon by a snipe which was caught at Walberswick in 1966 and recovered in December, 1971, at Sibton! In 1972, with more ringers available, it is hoped that not only will the ringing totals increase but that each bird ringed will be more thoroughly processed, a rather more scientific approach. With the adoption of this policy it is hoped to build up valuable information on local species. Ringing Totals, 1972 Green woodpecker Swallow House martin Sand martin Great tit Blue tit Coal tit Marsh tit Willow tit Long-tailed tit Bearded tit T r e e creeper Blackbird Nightingale Robin Reed warbler Sedge warbler Blackcap Garden warbler Whitethroat
1 60 1 127 3 3 2 2 247 4 6 1 3 116 27 8 5 2
Lesser whitethroat Willow warbler Chiffchaff Goldcrest Firecrest Spotted flycatcher Pied flycatcher Hedge sparrow Starling Greenfinch Bullfinch Chaffinch Yellow bunting Reed bunting Redpoll
Total
3 9 6 5 5 2 1 1 25 1 8 2 9
699
DINGLE BIRD CLUB
37
Selected Recoveries, 1971 Species Ringed Recovered Movement Snipe 18.9.66 21.12.71 13 km. W.S.W. F.G. Walberswick Sibton Bearded tit 22.11.70 24.10.71 19 km. N.N.E. 2cJ Walberswick Oulton Broad A total of seven Dingle-ringed bearded tits were caught at Oulton during October and November, 1971. Yellow bunting 4.9.63 9.2.71 Nine years old! F.G. Walberswick Walberswick Greenfinch 7.8.63 22.1.65 Six years to teil Juv. Walberswick Flanders, Belgiuni ringer! Lapwing 31.8.67 January, 1971 F.G. Blyth Oviedo, Spain Linnet 5.9.70 3.1.71 Juv. Walberswick Loire, France Willow warbler 6.8.70 5.5.71 46 km. N . N . W . Juv. Walberswick Norwich Shelduck 10.8.69 28.3.71 Found shot Weser Estuary Blyth