February 2015

Age 6: Woodcock (Roger Ackroyd)

Winds and low temperatures made it difficult to get out so the total of 230 new birds of 25 species is noteworthy.

61 Blue Tits and 58 Great Tits dominated but the biggest surprise was a Woodcock at Tythebarns, where there was also a Sparrowhawk.

There were 6 Meadow Pipits from Stanwellmoor whilst 4 Blackcap came from 3 sites. Woolley Firs managed four sessions across the month, ringing 79 new birds, including a Firecrest and 10 Yellowhammer; and Black Park came up with 10 Lesser Redpoll in a winter of low numbers for this species.

Bedfont had both Bullfinch and Reed Bunting which have been scarce recently at this site.

Age 6: Woodcock (Roger Ackroyd)

Ringing Demo at BBOWT's Woolley Firs Farm (14th Feb)

Ringing at Woolley Firs

The planned ringing demonstration to members of the public went well. Two well attended groups got a tour of the site and a session learning about the benefits of bird ringing. BBOWT told me that there was such demand they had to turn people away which is shows how much interest there is in conservation.

I was rather busy talking all morning and my crew were busy with net rounds and ringing birds, that not many photos were taken. I stole one of some of the ringers present and it wasn't until the public left I was able to pick up the camera again.

Just in time for our last arrival - a male Firecrest (a bird hatched only last year) caught away from the feeders.

Male Firecrest (Carl Hunter Roach)

January 2015

Pied Wagtail (Chris Lamsdell)

Weather forecasts were not helpful this month so much ringing was in gardens or hastily snatched sessions.

Nevertheless 137 birds of 17 species were ringed, the most unusual being 4 Pied Wagtails at Beaconsfield and 3 Fieldfare at Wraysbury (where there were also 8 Bullfinch over two sessions).

43% of those ringed were Blue and Great Tits - mostly across three sessions at Woolley Firs.

The Runnymede Ringing Group

At our Annual Steering Group meeting we agreed to formally split from the Maple Cross Ringing Group. This enables both groups to clearly manage fundraising and outgoings.

This website is now dedicated to the activities of the Runnymede Ringing Group.

December 2014

Rufous (L) & grey phase Tawny Owls (Carl Hunter Roach)

At the turning of the year attention turns more to quality than quantity on the occasions we can get out and just 440 birds (227 Runnymede RG; 213 Maple Cross RG) were ringed this month.

Pride of place must go to 3 Tawny Owls, caught from boxes at Bisham Wood, just trumping 9 Yellowhammers at Woolley Firs.

Five male (age, left-right: 4, 4, 3, 3, 4) Yellowhammers (Carl Hunter Roach)

A Skylark at Langley Bottom and a Water Rail (and 2 retraps) at Hilfield were noteworthy. 10 Blackcaps all came from gardens and there was a Chiffchaff at Bedfont and 2 at Broadwater. Blue Tit just scraped into top spot at 88 ahead of a magnificent 80 Redwing.

Valentine's Day Bird Ringing Demonstration

Nuthatch, Woolley Firs, Feb 2014 (Carl Hunter Roach)

Book now and join us at Woolley Firs near Maidenhead on Saturday morning, 14th February 2015.

The event is organised by Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust.

November 2014

With the mild weather continuing and with no sign of significant flocks to tempt us, attention turned to stocking feeders to supplement the main sites with the resultant increase in Blue and Great Tits.

3M Firecrest (Carl Hunter Roach)

445 new birds were ringed (194 Runnymede RG; 251 Maple Cross RG) but they did represent 38 species.

52 Starlings were ringed in two gardens and 32 Goldfinch, mostly from Milton Keynes. 22 Goldcrest were widespread but a Firecrest at Woolley Firs was on its own.

Thrushes were well represented with a rare capture of 2 Mistle Thrush (Chobham and Woolley Firs), 5 Fieldfare (Willows), 8 Redwing (Hilfield), 14 Blackbird and a Song Thrush. A Dartford Warbler, 7 Blackcap and 9 Chiffchaff were ringed and there was a returning Chiffchaff at Bedfont.

6 Lesser Redpoll were all from Chobham; there were 7 more Yellowhammer from Willows, a total of 8 Reed Buntings (7 at Chobham) and a Carrion Crow from Eastcote - an unusual one for the groups' species list.