Getting the ring on…

There are many skills to learn in bird ringing, especially how to hold the bird in one hand! This fieldfare is quite a handful for me!

After arriving in Odense, I met Hans, a local bird enthusiast who is involved in bird ringing on Funen. During my time as a volunteer in England I had assisted Andy (ranger with AONB service) with some ringing and was interested in learning more. Hans kindly offered to be my “mentor” and after this I registered with the local bird ringing group (read their blog here). Bird ringing is carefully regulated and requires a special permit or license issued by the Zoological Museum in Copenhagen. Catching and ringing birds adds greatly to the scientific knowledge on bird anatomy, movement patterns, migration routes, life cycle, habitat choices etc.

Hans carefully removes a bird from the net in the orchard.

Hans is particularly interested in ringing the elusive fieldfare (sjagger), a member of the thrush family. Over the last few weeks the temperature in Denmark has dropped significanly presenting us with an excellent opportunity to ring some hungry birds. The low temperatures force the birds to find alternative food sources, including apples from a local orchard!

Unfortunately birds are early risers so we start just after first light at the orchard . First we open the 10 large mist nets (~2.5m high with varying lengths) that are spread between the trees in the orchard. The nets remain in the orchard at night but are closed so the birds can not be trapped. The nets are made from fine mesh with specific size holes.

Blue tits can get very tangled in the nets.

Once the nets are open we wait patiently and try to stay warm. When a bird flies into the net it becomes trapped and can not escape. The nets are checked very regularly (especially when it’s cold) and once we’ve caught something the fun begins. Some birds are quite “active” in the net and get very tangled, others seem to relax and sit quietly until you free them (robins for example). Carefully we remove the trapped bird, freeing the legs, then the body, depending on how it has entered the net.

When you have a bird in your hand its colouring and features are very evident - for example this redwing (vindrossel)

The first thing we do is identify the species and the gender. In some birds this can be quite tricky and colouring must be carefully examined!

The feathers on the head of the fieldfare are used to determine gender.

After this we determine the birds age by examining the wing feathers (specifically which ones it has molted) and take some measurements (eg. wing length).

By examinating the colour changes in the wing feathers the birds age can be determined

Then a small metal ring is placed on the birds leg with a unique serial number. All the information is written down and within minutes the bird is released with his new piece of jewelry. Some birds will fly into a nearby tree and they can be seen examining their new “bling” with curiosity!

Before the bird is released all the important information is carefully noted

Contributing to science and conservation are main reasons for ringing birds, but on a personal level, getting the opportunity to see such beautiful creatures up close is truly an amazing experience.

I didn't appreciate the beaufy of a blackbird (solsort) until I got the chance to look into it's eyes!

My first Danish TV appearance!

Yesterday I found myself caught on camera while helping the local branch of the Danish Ornithological Society (DOF) with the opening of a new bird hide/shelter. The hide is a joint project between DOF and local town council. Volunteers (including me!) played a large role in building the beautiful solid oak structure. It will provide welcome relief from the strong winds which one is exposed to around the fjord in Odense. The hide is located on a man made island (former landfill site) which is a fantastic spot for bird watching. Hen harrier, rough legged buzzard, kestrel and white tailed eagle are common visitors! Many others (non-bird folk) enjoy coming to this wild spot for mountain biking, running and taking in some fresh air. See if you can spot me in a red jacket in this piece of local news coverage!