Outlaw Pete 2,224 Posted August 1, 2013 Report Share Posted August 1, 2013 FFS! And that was in my 'Dash and Grab' trap too! Looked out, first thing today, and there he was, inside the square cage I keep the peanut feeder in. As always, I sharply opened the back door and moved quickly towards him, hoping to distract him enough that he'd try to move away from me ~ and the open door he came in through! Got lucky! Managed to get there in time. And he wasn't rung! How happy was I?! So, I've finally added one more House Sparrow to my official tally. Christ, it's hard work though! Saying that? I'm starting to notice more of them out there just now. Bummer is this constant rain. I refuse to put my gorgeous little Trap Cage out in it. I have to rely on the wire mesh traps. Heh! Just sitting here, day dreaming. I so want to get an endorsement for Jackdaws on my license! I'm thinking; I guess this is a bit like you guys with your aviaries? You must sit and dream of keeping / breeding certain birds? And, like with how Bullfinches are not for beginners, so I too must earn my stripes through experience. Wish I had longer (and better eyesight!) to enjoy all this 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw Pete 2,224 Posted August 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2013 Two Great Tits and a female Sparrow today. Dashing in and out, grabbing my f**king trap cage as each new cloud dumped a deluge! F**king weather!!! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bell 3,610 Posted August 2, 2013 Report Share Posted August 2, 2013 Two Great Tits and a female Sparrow today. Dashing in and out, grabbing my f**king trap cage as each new cloud dumped a deluge! F**king weather!!! Keep up the good work Pete........ A willow or marsh is just round the corner...........I can feel it in my water....... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw Pete 2,224 Posted August 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2013 Bell; Sadly, I think those two would be a bit to the east of me It's like I look out over massive reed beds. Reed warblers ....?! Yeah. Only, I have a life long and deep seated phobia of just such ground. I have a panic attack if I step just a few yards inside there. Pat, my neighbour, born and bred here, has even told me Never to go in there. It's treacherous as all f**k. He reckons ye could just slip though the 'ground', at any point. Slide down into the bog below! F**k That!!! Anyway; There are no reedies here either. But, they reckon there should be Water Rails! And they grunt! Can you imagine handling a bird of such size and vivid colour? And having the f**king thing Grunt at you?! I almost feel the call of those reed beds right now ....! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tatsblisters 11,170 Posted August 3, 2013 Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 Would clap nets be more effective for catching more of them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
budharley 945 Posted August 3, 2013 Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 Bell; Sadly, I think those two would be a bit to the east of me It's like I look out over massive reed beds. Reed warblers ....?! Yeah. Only, I have a life long and deep seated phobia of just such ground. I have a panic attack if I step just a few yards inside there. Pat, my neighbour, born and bred here, has even told me Never to go in there. It's treacherous as all f**k. He reckons ye could just slip though the 'ground', at any point. Slide down into the bog below! F**k That!!! Anyway; There are no reedies here either. But, they reckon there should be Water Rails! And they grunt! Can you imagine handling a bird of such size and vivid colour? And having the f**king thing Grunt at you?! I almost feel the call of those reed beds right now ....! Hi pete this ringing of birds really fascinates me how does one start the process of becoming a ringer cheers 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw Pete 2,224 Posted August 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 I live to hear that question, Bud!!! Here. Just get yeself a Trainer. Meanwhile, if ye have any questions what so ever about any aspect? You only have to ask me Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw Pete 2,224 Posted August 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 Would clap nets be more effective for catching more of them. Obviously, yes. Only, I need to get an endorsement to use one first, see? Fact is, I have a clap net. (Well, it's a more advanced and up to date type. One we now call a 'Whoosh' net) But, I have to have my Trainer with me to use it and he has to teach me and ensure I'm proficient around it before signing me off to use it on my own. Most efficient of all, of course, are Mist Nets. But, my eyesight is too poor now and I just haven't got the dexterity in my fingers. Bottom line is; I'm extremely uncomfortable trying to disengage a bird from a mist net. Hence I stick with my traps and would use other nets, like my whoosh, which don't entangle the birds. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tatsblisters 11,170 Posted August 3, 2013 Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 Would clap nets be more effective for catching more of them. Obviously, yes. Only, I need to get an endorsement to use one first, see? Fact is, I have a clap net. (Well, it's a more advanced and up to date type. One we now call a 'Whoosh' net) But, I have to have my Trainer with me to use it and he has to teach me and ensure I'm proficient around it before signing me off to use it on my own. Most efficient of all, of course, are Mist Nets. But, my eyesight is too poor now and I just haven't got the dexterity in my fingers. Bottom line is; I'm extremely uncomfortable trying to disengage a bird from a mist net. Hence I stick with my traps and would use other nets, like my whoosh, which don't entangle the birds. Fair play mate i am only commenting on seeing some of the old bird catchers who i grew up around in years gone by who used this illeagal method of catching certain types of birds whos practises died with them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw Pete 2,224 Posted August 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 Just had a retrapped great tit and a new greenfinch there Greenie, of course, flew away like a train. I always love to see that. Yes, I wouldn't say the old ways are completely dead, Tats. I have my trap cage out there as has been used since god knows when. My Potter traps. Even my pull the stick away traps. All been used for centuries. I have other, spring fired nets here too. I have a 'crow trap' to die for! Now, obviously, we don't use lime. So, there's a couple of ways of catching chaffinches out the window. Nor are we allowed to use live decoy birds. And, as I say, we've now developed the clap net into something even more efficient. But, yeah, basically, I'm training to be every bit as much a 'Bird Catcher' as the old boys. It's just that I always let my stuff go and I carry a license to do what I do. Absolutely love it too! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
budharley 945 Posted August 3, 2013 Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 I live to hear that question, Bud!!! Here. Just get yeself a Trainer. Meanwhile, if ye have any questions what so ever about any aspect? You only have to ask me hi pete thanks for the reply , when ringing is it all species you have to cover or can you concentrate on certain species .I would obviously ring all species caught but could I concentrate on say ringing birds of prey. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw Pete 2,224 Posted August 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 It's all about " Endorsements ", Bud. You'd probably start off ringing what ever gets in the net. As it happens, one girl started with my Trainer and the first thing to hit the net, on her first ever day ringing, was a f**king sparrowhawk!!! Can you imagine it?! Baptism by " Phwaaaar!!! " So, you ring like hell and ~ in your case, I expect you'll learn to extract birds from the Mist Net. Depending on how fast you can absorb stuff, and how many hours you and ye Trainer can get in, after a year or two you could be eligible for your " C " permit. See, as a Trainee, everything you do has to be done with ye Trainer there. Buy your own pliers, by all means. But, ye can't hold any rings. Then, ye get put in for a C Permit and this is where these Endorsements kick in. Ye get an endorsement to cover ye for every aspect you're now considered up to speed on. And you're then allowed to practice these things on ye own. And ye allowed to have ye own rings. Trainer has to send for them, 'mind. But you choose them and pay for them. You get to keep and use them, just as I'm doing. So, like I say; You'd probably get endorsements for using a mist net and ringing what ever hits it. Regards birds of prey? Ye Trainer would have to put some focus on them for ye. Because, obviously, they can carry heightened levels of protection and, anyway, there a bit more than the usual great tits. It's worth noting that my own C Permit allows me to try to trap sparrows. But, then I can ring any other passerine that happens to get caught by default. So, if a sparrowhawk somehow miraculously got into one of my sparrow traps? I'd have to let him go. Hawks are Non Passerines, so not on my ticket. Of course, this is not to say you (who I suspect would be a fair bit younger than me. Thus better able to learn) couldn't end up with a pretty much Open C Permit. Do as ye likey license. Handful of endorsements allowing ye to just crack on. I hope I haven't prattled away so much as to make all that even more bloody confusing now? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
budharley 945 Posted August 3, 2013 Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 not at all mate, there seems to be one trainer taking on near southport so ill send them an email thanks pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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