| 2010-02-02 | Les Underhill | | Report from Barberspan |
ADU postdoc Magda Remisiewicz is currently at Barberspan Nature Reserve doing fieldwork. This is the site of the SAFRING Ringers' Conference next month.
"We are having very good catches of waders – more than 60 in less than a week. Little Stints and Kittlitz's Plover are abundant, and there are also having more Ringed Plovers and Common Sandpipers than usual. Ducksare abundant and we trapped a few Yellow-billed Ducks in our walk-in traps for waders. There is also a
mixed flock Lesser and Greater Flamingos containing about 3000 birds.
"We are also making some local arrangements for the Ringers' Conference. There is enthusiasm here for all ringers attending to participate in a large quelea ringing project during that weekend.
"This past weekend the waterbird count was done for CWAC, coordinated by Mafeking Bird Club and the Westvaal Bird Club."
The dates of the Ringers Conference are 12–15 March. Dieter Oschadleus, SAFRING coordinator says:
"Registrations for Barberspan are rolling in at a steady pace.
There are still quite a few places open but don't wait too long to
register, to ensure you get the type of accommodation you would like.
Also let your trainees know, as well as other birders that may be
interested in ringing - this conference is open to anyone interested in
ringing in particular, and the study of birds in general."
Details are on the SAFRING website
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| | 2010-01-29 | Dieter Oschadleus | | Barn Swallow roost near Durbanville | | A Barn Swallow roost was found near Durbanville last year and several hundred swallows were ringed. This summer the Tygerberg ringers are ringing there again and in recent days were excited to catch two birds with foreign rings, one from the UK and one from Spain. The details for the latter arrived at SAFRING today:
Ring number: Z47626
Ring Date: 2009/09/20
Location: Lacorzana, Araba, Spain, 4241N0253W
Age: 3(Immature), Sex: 0(Unknown)
Retrapped: 2010/01/19
Location: Clara Annafontein, 3449S1839E
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| | 2010-01-25 | Dieter Oschadleus | | Causes of death in Lesser Spotted Eagles | Recent paper: Meyburg, B.-U. & C. Meyburg (2009): High mortality rate in juvenile and adult birds: Causes of death in Lesser Spotted Eagles. Falke 56: 382-388 has been posted to our website:
paper with all maps, photos etc
English translation
The Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) is the most endangered of the remaining four German indigenous eagle species. The population has declined
slowly but continuously for decades. In addition, the size of the breeding
range has shrunk more and more. The main reasons for the decline are
considered to be habitat deterioration in the breeding area and human persecution on the migration routes. Other causes, such as the natural mortality of juvenile and adult birds, have scarcely been taken into consideration to
date. This article, based on our satellite telemetry studies reports on the
appalling losses of juvenile and adult birds. Full migration routes from
Germany to southern Africa and back are shown as well as movements during
wintering in central and southern Africa based on many thousands of GPS fixes.
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