Bird ringing under Covid-19 - December 2020

Lockdown restrictions meant the only ringing this month was at Tythebarns and Woolley Firs, where a total of 32 new birds of 10 species were handled.

3 Redwing, 2 Goldcrest and a Jay were the most interesting. With little hope of change until at least February, what prospects are there for January?

If you are near heathland, Crossbills are early nesters or try locating your local Tawny Owls. Take a camera for reading rings in your local park – there’s plenty to look forward to.

Take care, and please stay safe.

Bird ringing under Covid-19 - November 2020

In a month almost totally affected by covid lockdown 2, we were fortunate to manage a session at Chobham just before it started, and another under lockdown restrictions at the month-end.

48 birds of 5 species were ringed with Lesser Redpoll leading on 37. A colour-ringed male Black-headed Gull turned up on the Thames at Windsor having been ringed in Denmark, 980km away in 2015.

Nocturnal-migration recordings picked up twenty-four species over Ealing including 1,737 Redwing,  81 Song Thrush, 9 Fieldfare, Teal, Wigeon, Lapwing, Turnstone, Golden Plover, Moorhen, Coot and Skylark. We recommend everyone try this in their own gardens to see what it passing, unseen, overhead!

Black-headed Gull movement København, Denmark to Windsor

Bird ringing under Covid-19 - October 2020

Two sessions were possible at Chobham and these contributed the majority of the 245 birds ringed in October. 131 Lesser Redpoll kept ringers busy but 3 Crossbills stole the show. Redwing at 32 just beat Meadow Pipit on 31 but 3 Stonechat and 2 Blackcap were nice additions.

Some recoveries from the redpoll catch suggest origins to the west and north-west and a rapid onward movement eastwards.

Crossbill young male (Carl Hunter-Roach)

Male Crossbills (Carl Hunter-Roach)

Bird ringing under Covid-19 - September 2020

A good month produced 1,047 new birds of 26 species from 5 sites, with the intensive work at Wraysbury providing 957 from five sessions. Tythebarn's 192 from 8 sessions; Bedfont 148 from 4 sessions and even 50 from the Heston garden.

As expected, Blackcap was top species at 418 followed by Chiffchaff at 180 but Blue Tit at 115 was just ahead of 96 Meadow Pipit. Against this, Sedge, Reed, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Garden and Willow Warbler had mostly moved on whilst Goldcrest and a Firecrest (see below) arrived at Bedfont.

Noc-mig recorded Redwing and Song Thrush, Siskin and Redpoll at Ealing.

Firecrest at Bedfont (Eleanor Page)