Ringing: November
Ringing: October
Wednesday 22nd A lovely, calm, day with warm sunny intervals – the lull before the storm. Today might well be the last time for about a week when conditions are suitable to ring and it was pleasing to be joined by some of our trainees. It was an interesting morning with 95 new birds plus two birds with rings from…
Ringing: September
Tuesday 30th A lovely calm day with little cloud helped a big catch as birds headed south. A small group of us with one or two surprise guests ringed 268 birds with just seven subsequent encounters (all seven bearing our rings). The majority were Chiffchaffs (120) and Blackcaps (111). The steady trickle of Goldcrests increased to 21 and there were…
Ringing: August
Sunday 31st The month signed out with another, slightly unexpected calm start. There were 36 new birds all, bar two, were migrants. The residents were a Great Tit and a juvenile female Cetti’s Warbler. The latter is one of the few UK passerines which can usually be sexed on biometrics. The male is longer winged and heavier. The flow of…
Ringing: July
Wednesday 30th It was good to be able to get a team out today and they were rewarded with a successful morning. There were 58 new birds of 14 species. The highlight was a juvenile Cuckoo. Colour was added by a Jay and a Green Woodpecker. Migrants are definitely on the move and, although we still have not caught a…
Ringing: June
Summary of pullus ringing in May. So far so good! We have ringed 86 Blue Tits and 55 Great Tits in May. The Blue Tits are well up on last year. We will await the end of the month to see it they fledge, which would be great. Sunday 29th the heat continues to build but a gentle breeze…
Ringing: May
Saturday 31st Good conditions for checking nest boxes. The House Sparrows at the Observatory are slowly getting going with a few nests with eggs at last. This is in contrast to just down the road where one nest is now with its second brood. The House Martins seem to have delayed nesting but are also getting going and even better…
Ringing: April
Tuesday 29th A beautiful, calm, clear day. The clear sky overnight allowed a few sheltered bits to have a brief frost-certainly what was not forecast. We are ever hopeful that a few birds might overshoot from the continent but no sign yet. Five birds were caught- three Dunnocks, a Chiffchaff and a Blackbird. They all showed signs indicating they were…
Ringing: March
CALLING ALL RINGERS – Sold out and waiting list started. South East Ringers’ Conference at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory: April 5th 2025 09.30 -17.00 Admission is by ticket only please use this link: https://buytickets.at/sandwichbaybirdobservatory/1582702 Talks will include Waders on the Swale, Nightingales, Motus, Trapping methods, Turtle Doves Raffle to win a pair of binoculars kindly donated by In Focus. Sunday…
Ringing: February
CALLING ALL RINGERS South East Ringers’ Conference at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory: April 5th 2025 09.30 -17.00 Admission is by ticket only please use this link: https://buytickets.at/sandwichbaybirdobservatory/1582702 Talks will include Waders, Nightingales, Motus, Trapping methods, Turtle Doves Raffle to win a pair of binoculars kindly donated by In Focus. Friday 28th Breezier than forecast but that did keep the frost…