Sunday 31st
Things continue to improve helped by some early cloud. There were 17 new birds; the best of which were five Willow Warblers, a Garden Warbler (the first this year), and a Treecreeper. The supporting cast were two each of Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, and Blue Tit plus singles of Robin, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, and Chaffinch
Friday 29th
The flood gates have not opened but it continues to show hope. Eleven new birds today included another Willow Warbler, and two each of Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, and Great Tit. There were singles of Robin, Reed Warbler, Blue Tit, and Goldfinch plus two more House Sparrow pulli.
Wednesday 27th
After yesterday's unexpected postponement due to early rain it was nice to ring today. The reward was the first Willow Warbler of the autumn. Other new birds were singles of Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird and Great Tit plus two each of Reed Warbler and Whitethroat. Three more House Sparrow pulli were added later.
Monday 25th
Too breezy for ringing this morning but we have been notified of one or two movements. The first is a Mediterranean Gull colour ringed in Antwerpen, Belgium as an adult on May 20th 2018 and read on Worth on April 3rd this year. There is also confirmation of the Black-headed Gull colour ringed as a chick at Pagham Harbour on July 21st last year and read here on May 17th 2022. There were two Blackcaps, the first was ringed at Hollesley Heath, Suffolk on September 21st 2021 and retrapped twice here in June and July and so is probably breeding here. The second was ringed by the Medway on 23rd September 2021 ans retrapped here on April 24th, as we have not seen it since it might have just been passing through.
Sunday 24th
A reasonable session before the breeze and heat got up yielded 15 new and seven retrap birds. The new ones included a Green Woodpecker, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, three Robins, the first Sedge Warbler of the autumn, three Reed Warblers, a Blackcap, three Great Tits and a Chaffinch. There are still no migrants not bred locally, where are the Willow Warblers?
Friday 22nd
A catch of 29 birds was an upbeat note. Ten of them- two Blackbirds, two Blackcaps, three Chiffchaffs, a Magpie and two Chaffinches were new showing local breeders are still going well and the 19 retraps indicates they are also surviving well.
Tuesday 19th
With the daytime temperature forecast to be in the 30's early on and no sign of migrant warblers yet it was decided not to ring today.
Sunday 17th
Early starts and early finishes are going to be the order of the day in the current conditions. The highlight of just four new birds was another Green Woodpecker.
Friday 15th
If birds elsewhere have had similar productivity then it could be, conditions allowing, an interesting autumn. No migrants have arrived yet but ten locals were ringed- a Dunnock, three Reed Warblers, two Lesser Whitethroats, three Whitethroats and a Chiffchaff.
Tuesday 12th
As the heat continues to increase an early finish by around 0900 was in order. Eight more fledged birds were ringed-Wren, Robin, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat.
The main part of the day was checking lots of nest boxes. In Middle Field the occupied tit boxes had all fledged apart from one Blue Tit nest where none of the chicks made it. Around the observatory the sparrows are still busy with some starting their third brood. Along Sandown Road the House Martin picture is much better than last year. All but two nest boxes are being used although two must have been in a rush as there is no material lining the nest. Some birds are getting on with their second brood.
Sunday 10th
Another quiet morning enlivened by the appearance of an unringed adult female Kestrel in net 6. Although there is a gentle trickle of Sand Martins heading south none have dropped in for a ring yet.
Saturday 9th
This morning it was two Chiffchaffs and singles of Wren, Blackbird, Blackcap, Whitethroat and Blue Tit.
Three interesting recoveries have just come in;
A Redshank ringed as an adult on Backsand Scrape on August 2nd 2011 and read in the field at Rye Harbour on July 6th this year.
A Black-headed Gull ringed at Kingsdown on January 2nd 2012 and found dead in a colony at Wicken fen on June 10th this year.
A Lesser Redpoll ringed here on November 16th 2021 and impressively read in the field at Banchory, Aberdeenshire this year on June 20th.
Friday 8th
The trickle of young birds continues with two Whitethroats, a Blackcap and a Chiifchaff this time.
It is only a few weeks before this years RAS season comes to an end and so some more readings of House Sparrow colour rings would be most welcome.
Thursday 7th
Ringing remains quiet but it will not be long before the first African bound migrants show up. Local breeders continue to supply newly fledged birds.
From amongst the batch of recent recoveries a couple more records. The first is of a Song Thrush ringed here on October 27th 2021 and sadly found dead in Utrecht (296km ENE) on May 5th this year. The other is actually a group of records all of Starlings. We regularly get them being caught at a ringers garden in Deal but the last lot included birds ringed here in 2014,15,16,17 and 18. Sadly we are much less likely to get more recent birds going there as so few feed around here now.
Friday 1st
Although conditions started okay a stiff breeze got up and curtailed activities. There were eight new birds - three Blackcaps and singles of Wren, Robin, Blackbird and Chaffinch. The highlight was an adult Redwing in the Heligoland. The bird did not show signs of being in breeding condition still and was just starting its main moult.