Thursday January 1st 2026
Please watch out for and record colour ringed birds.
I earlier mentioned about the stories of the neck-collared Barnacle Geese. These had been photographed by one of our keen observers. When I saw the flock today I could not see any collared ones. Have they moved on or were they elsewhere on the marshes?
I saw a colour ringed Herring Gull by the southerly toll booth yesterday but it flew off. Hopefully somebody will be able to record it soon.
Wednesday 31st
The sky cleared overnight and a heavy ground frost welcomed us to the day. Low cloud appeared and the temperature crept back up. This was a relief as we were in the Jubilee Field. It was an interesting visit with 24 birds ringed and 11 subsequent encounters. Blackbird led the way with 17 new and five already ringed. As is often the case at this time of year many of the Blackbirds were long-winged and bulky (several over 100g.). The other new birds were three Robins, two Song Thrushes and singles of Blue Tit and Goldfinch. a retrap Firecrest was of note.
Monday 29th
As forecast it was very overcast but this, along with an unexpected breeze helped prevent a frost.
Sixty-three birds were caught. Five of these (two Blue Tits and singles of Blackbird, House Sparrow and Long-tailed Tit) were new. Twenty-six subsequent encounters of Long-tailed Tit dominated that side of the catch. Also of note in the subsequent encounters were an Firecrest and a Chiffchaff.
Saturday 27th
No ringing due to the strength of the wind but details came through about four of the neck-collared Barnacle Geese seen on RSPB Worth marshes earlier in the month. They were all ringed on July 9th 2022 at Scorton in North Yorkshire. Since then they have roamed around England (with one making a brief sortie into France) but return each summer to North Yorkshire. Three of them were observed at Weir Wood Reservoir in December 2022. One of them was reported from Lac du Temple France on January 10th this year a day after being seen at RSPB Saltholme.
Tuesday 23rd
A stiff Easterly brought a decidedly cool feel to the air and there was no ringing. Two recent movements have been notified to us. The first involves the Dutch ringed Blackbird we caught on December 11th. It had been ringed 25 days earlier, 279 km NE, at Petten, North Holland. The second is more regular-one of the tits we ringed moving a short distance along the coast. This time it was a Long-tailed Tit ringed by us on June 20th and caught again at Kingsdown, which is between here and Dover.
Monday 22nd
After a bit of a breeze to start with the breeze dropped and it was another mild morning. Twenty-one birds were caught of which eight were new. House Sparrow led the way with four new and a retrap. There were also single Chaffinch, Great Tit and Redwing, plus another Chiffchaff. It was the first morning for a while without any crests.
Although the water level in the Haven is rising there have not been any Water Rails seen or heard yet.
Saturday 20th
The weather remains mild and continues to swing from very windy and wet to calm and sunny. There were little patches of fog which quickly disappeared as daylight got going. Thirty-five birds were caught of which 11 were unringed. These were two each of Chiffchaff and House Sparrow plus single Blackbird, Chaffinch, Goldcrest, Green Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit, Redwing and Wren. The highlight amongst the subsequent encounters was a Firecrest.
The Chiffchaffs remain stubbornly standard in appearance. At one time, when the Greenfinch numbers plummeted it seemed as if Chaffinches would help fill the space but although there are more of them than other finches they are not as common as hoped.
Wednesday 17th
A calm, clear, start was a bit cooler than of late but still mild for the time of year. Good conditions for the BTO winter project and 47 birds were caught. Eleven were new including two more Blackcaps (plus one from a week ago) and a Chiffchaff. The others were two Redwings and singles of Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Robin and Song Thrush. In terms of the project the subsequent encounters are important as it is looking at survival and condition. Blue Tit led the way with 12 followed by eight Robins, five Great Tits, three Long-tailed Tits and Dunnocks and singles of Blackbird, Goldcrest, House Sparrow and Wren.
Saturday 13th
Another batch of subsequent encounters came in. There were the usual tits - three Blue and a Great wandering to local sites plus three further afield.
The first was a Sedge Warbler ringed in Belgium on August 23rd 2023 and caught here on August 21st this year.
The second was a Chiffchaff ringed here on September 25th 2022 and caught again at Nanjizal, Cornwall on March 22nd this year. I wonder if it is one of the main that overwinter in that area?
Best of all was a Mediterranean Gull, ringed as an adult, at Copt Point on February 22nd 2001 and sighted again at Southchurch Essex on August 24th this year. The oldest one on the BTO site is only 18 years. It had already been caught in January this year, also in Essex, when the ring was replaced.
Thursday 11th
As the morning was forecast to start clear and calm it would be natural to expect frost to form despite the general mild aspect and there was a good covering of frost at first. Twenty two birds were caught of which eight were new. They were an interesting mix of what might becoming the new norm. These were two Chiffchaffs - but still none of the tristis-type, plus singles of Blackcap, Goldfinch, Redpoll, Wren, Blue Tit and Blackbird. The Long-tailed Tit flocks remain in the area and there were eight subsequent encounters. Best of all was a Blackbird with an Arnhem, Holland ring.
Wednesday 10th
Over the weekend a group of 29 Barnacle Geese were seen on RSPB Worth marshes. Four of these had white neck collars and the details were read in the field. We're still awaiting information on precisely where they ringed but we do know they come from a project monitoring the UK's naturalised population.
