Turnstone data loggers

SCAN ringing group have an ongoing project fitting data loggers to Turnstone in N. Wales as part of a project to find out where these birds breed in the high arctic and where they stop off on their migration routes. Getting approval for such a project from the Home Office and the bird ringing special methods committee has taken some time but a few weeks ago we got the approval and a team was soon assembled to canon net Turnstone and fit the data loggers before these birds set off for their breeding grounds. 21 data loggers were funded and at over £110 each they're not cheap!

The loggers are extremely small and light with a battery life of 2 years. Once they're set and started the clocks determine whereabouts the birds are geographically with an accuracy of 80 km by using the sunset and sunrise times to plot a position. The birds have to be recaptured next year to remove the data loggers and download the data. With 21 loggers deployed it was felt we had a good chance of recapturing a reasonable sample next year.

Data loggers were only fitted to adult birds as these have a better chance of survival on the return migrations as they're more experienced, having done it at least twice before!

As part of the approval birds had to be photographed to show the data loggers were fitted correctly and videoed on release to show that the birds weren't impeded in anyway.

It would be fantastic to get a good number of these birds back on their wintering grounds next winter and be able to find out where they go and where they stop. This information will help put measures in place to protect them on their migration routes as well as being protected here on their wintering grounds.

A surprise capture was a Skylark that seemed to think it was a Turnstone and was captured along with them.