Alan Ball
@alanball101
General wildlife, especially birds with owls and raptors in particular. 'A' ringer. Have great wife Jo and three 'kids' (all now 20+)
I lnow it's mild, but was not expecting to see our male Peregrine at Grantham to be nest "scraping" this afternoon. @Lincsbirding
The UK longevity record for Barn Owl was 15 years and 7 months. last year I retrapped a male that I had ringed nearly 17 years earlier. However, last night I retrapped a female that had been ringed just over 18 years earlier !
Its the poorest year for owls this year, due to lack of food, and I have ringed only a hundred of each of Barn Owls and Kestrels. So a big surprise on the Humber Bank to find 6 Barn Owl and 4 Kestrel chicks in the same nestbox ...and with uneaten prey items too!
All three Peregrine chicks have successfully fledged at Grantham.
Checking our Little Owl boxes today. Its a poor year so was surprised to find 7 eggs in one box....then discovered that there were two females! (Photo shows both with brood patches). Polygyny in Little Owls is very rare.
Three Peregrine chicks sp far at Grantham this morning @Lincsbirding
These Ravens, ringed today, were in a nest on a communications tower nearly 80 metres off the ground !
And we're off ! ... First Barn Owl chicks of 2025 ringed today in Lincolnshire. These three are 6 weeks old already !
First Willow Warbler of Spring in my garden this morning. Earliest ever for me @Lincsbirding
Great result for Lincolnshire Police's Wildlife Crime Unit.
Lincolnshire gamekeeper John Bryant sentenced for crimes relating to raptor persecution. Well done @LincsRuralCrime @RSPBbirders @ukwildlifecrime @NaturalEngland Press release from Lincs Police ⬇️⬇️ raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/03/20/lin…
Great supporting cast of Grey Partridge, Curlews and Oystercatchers back on territory and a Lapwing having a bad hair day in the wind.
Nice overnight stay on the NY Moors celebrating my and Jo's 30th wedding anniversary staying at the CB Inn. Great views of Red Grouse....I hadn't realised the red eye patch above the eye on the male are actually eye-lash type feathers!
Nice change of scenery to neighbouring Yorkshire today .... we don't get Red Grouse in Lincolnshire.
Whats the point of advertising a road closure @LincolnshireCC when you then close it four days early?
Good srart to 2025 with another Water Rail ringed at Marston STW. (The 18th for 24/25 winter) Plus another Moorhen colour-ringed for @Au_Erithacus for her project.
Great news and a credit to Lincolnshire Police that take Wildlife Crime seriously, unlike some forces.
Huge congratulations to @LincsPolice's DC Aaron Flint who won Wildlife Enforcer of the Year at the National Wildlife Crime Conference. A much deserved title for a dedicated officer who has been instrumental to the success of many raptor cases. Thank you for all you do!
Just received details of one of our Siskins ringed in April at Bourne Wood that was caught in the Russian Federation just 9 days later! A mobile species and we've had Siskin movements between Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Latvia, Sweden, Norway
The 16th Water Rail ringed this autumn at Marston STW. Only around a hundred are ringed in the UK annually.
As a result of targetting Moorhens for @Au_Erithacus for her colour ringing project, it has been a record autumn at Marston STW with 13 Water Rails and 18 Moorhen ringed. Only around 100 Water Rails are ringed in the UK annually. Grey Wagtail this morning.
