July - Nightingale returns to Wraysbury

Nightingale (Chris & Denise Lamsdell)

The July total of 855 is the highest since 2011 and 33 species gave a good spread, including our first Nightingale for 4 years (Wraysbury) and a welcome 18 Common Tern pulli.

Blackcap was top species with 267 with Whitethroat some way behind at 105 and Blue Tit on 85. But among the 546 new warblers there was only one Lesser Whitethroat (Bedfont) and one Willow Warbler (Wraysbury).

Other less-frequently ringed species this month were a Sand Martin (Stanwellmoor), 15 Swallow, a Jackdaw, 19 Starling and 7 House Sparrow.

June - Red Kite visit RRG

Typical – we wait sixteen months for a new species for the group list then two come along together!

Three Red Kites were attracted to the Iver Heath garden, together with a Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Red Kite (Chris & Denise Lamsdell)

Statistically, LBBG was already on the list on the basis of some holiday ringing in Cornwall over 40 years ago, but this is the first within the Runnymede area. Also unusual were four Lapwing pulli at Langley Vale, and altogether the July total was 378 new birds of 32 species.

Juveniles swelled the catches with Blackcap the most numerous at 89, Whitethroat at 41 and Chiffchaff at 30.