BIRD WATCHING AND NATURAL HISTORY
The groups outing for this month was a little different from our previous outings as we visited Ness Gardens on the Wirral for a demonstration of “bird ringing " by The Merseyside Bird Ringing Group an event organized by Ness Gardens. They have these events on a number of occasions during the year mostly during school holiday time as one of their aims is to introduce young children to nature however anyone is welcome to visit and experience and learn about this important work. Welfare of the birds is an important part of course and the ringers are only allowed to do this under license. A member of the group took us into the woodland to show us one of the four mesh nets that had been set up to catch the birds and explained how the group check the nets every few minutes. Once the bird has been carefully released from the net it is taken to the ringing table where it is identified, examined health wise. Checked for a previously fitted ring, measured, weighed, has a ring fitted before finally being released, all carried out within strict and controlled guidelines. The rings have a unique code on them which is recorded by the ringing group and submitted to the BTO ( British Trust for Ornithology ) to be archived on their data base, this allows anyone who in the future catches this bird can check where it has originated from and when. All this data helps with conservation work, migration patterns, breeding patterns and nesting times along with other research which helps bird organizations such as the RSPB and others to support, protect and hopefully help these birds thrive into the future. The ringing group had already ringed a large number of birds before we arrived, while we were there we witnessed them ringing three birds a Chaffinch, a Blue Tit and a Great Tit, we also saw in the gardens 10 other species of bird and with it being spring the sound of bird song was all around us. A great morning was had by all the group. The next outing is planned for Monday May 13, the location is expected to be RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands.
Dave Chandler