April 2016 - poor weather dominated

April is often a quiet month for numbers, especially if migration is slowed by weather conditions. The weather across April didn't avail itself for netting - a session at one site turned into a ride clearance session and netting opportunities were thin on the ground across the whole of the month - the result was a lowly total of 66 new birds; less than half that of April 2015.

Blackcap featured at most sites but Whitethroat and Chiffchaff were only at Bedfont and Wraysbury and Lesser Whitethroat, Garden and Willow Warbler only at Wraysbury. Top species for the month was Lesser Redpoll when a short visit to Chobham (another session curtailed by windy weather) resulted in 18 new birds, just beating Blackcap on 17.

The work in between sessions…

Sometimes the forecasters get it wrong and we arrive on site to gusts and showers. This morning was one of those times - as the rain fell we cancelled our plans for a bird ringing session and set to maintaining our rides ready for the start of the CES programme.

Trimming rides (Karl Tarratt, 2016)

March 2016 - Continental Coal Tit visits Buckinghamshire

A total of 276 new birds in March, 120 of which were Siskin from the Iver Heath garden. With no warblers appearing by the month end, species range was limited but Meadow Pipit and 3 Yellowhammer were ringed at Woolley Firs and a single Dartford Warbler at Chobham.

Continental Coal Tit (C&D Lamsdell)

The plumage of a Coal Tit at Iver Heath on 7th was that of the continental race; conveniently it was also wearing a Belgian ring!

February 2016 - Siskins and Little Owl among highlights

There were some late additions to January to boost the total to 186 new birds but February could only reach 164 of 20 species.

Sites struggled to ring 20 birds and it was left to the Iver Heath garden to supply the numbers with 68 Siskin and 20 Goldfinch topping the list. Six Redwing and a Yellowhammer featured at Woolley Firs and a house-caught Little Owl at Tythebarns was the first for 13 years.

January 2016 - Cetti's Warbler, Redwing & Firecrest among highlights

169 birds of 26 species were ringed, with Blue Tit and Great Tit making up 40% of that number.

There were some good species to have on the list in the first month of the year – a Redwing at Tythebarns and 14 at Woolley Firs, Cetti’s Warblers at Bedfont and Stanwellmoor; Blackcap in the Ealing garden; Chiffchaff at Bedfont and Wraysbury, 5 Yellowhammers at Woolley Firs and a Firecrest at Stanwellmoor.

A Willow Warbler, we ringed near Ripley, Surrey last August passed through Main-et-Loirem, France, 413km away only 10 days later.

BBC Radio Interview about Bird Ringing

I was interviewed this weekend on the Andrew Peach show on BBC Radio Berkshire while running a demonstration of bird ringing at a BBOWT site.

Listen: Interview about Bird Ringing at Woolley Firs, a BBOWT Nature Reserve

December 2015

Six sites held sessions in December although some were fairly short and wind-affected.

219 new birds of 26 species were ringed with Blue Tit at 41 as top species. Second was Goldcrest at 31 showing that many from the October influx are still around.

Other interesting species was a Sparrowhawk at Stanwellmoor, 5 Great Spotted Woodpecker at Bedfont, 3 Meadow Pipit at Bedfont South Side and 9 Redwing from Wraysbury and Stanwellmoor.

Stanwellmoor also provided 3 Cetti’s Warbler and 3 Chiffchaff, with 10 from Bedfont, one of which had characteristics of Siberian.

Both sites provided Firecrest, the first ever for Stanwellmoor and Bedfont's third this winter. In the absence of Chobham visits, 3 Siskin, 7 Redpoll and 5 Reed Bunting are good totals.