Migration underway...of ringers too..!

This week marks the departure of most of the Group in various directions, to Costa Rica, Skokholm Island and Mallorca.

Here is a last look down the main ride in the Mallard net run, having taken the nets down after the last swallow roost.  No Aquatic Warbler in there this year but a good season for Reed Warblers

We have been ringing at the CES site each morning and in the evening in the Mallard net run catching Swallows and Wagtails.

With recent news of one of our White Wagtails being recovered in Iceland the importance of the Teifi Reed beds as a stopover point on migration has been emphasised

A few Sedge Warblers (picture below) are still trickling through, and Reed Warblers are still being caught in both daily sessions, with four new Reed Warblers on the last evening. 

Cetti's have been a pleasant surprise..

-with four new Cetti's in the last three morning sessions !
Cetti's are breeding residents, but we have had controls at this time of year, and with RSPB Conwy having it's first Cetti's for three years today, these birds may be migrants too...?

Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs have been the most numerous species caught with with double figures of both each day.

 Numbers to follow once all the data is entered in IPMR but on a quick look there have been  at least 112 Chiffs and a 120 Blackcaps in the last 12 days

The morning sessions at this time of year are short but productive and we have had a variety of visitors including a couple staying at the newly renovated Oak Tree Cottage on the reserve and Molly who has been working on Skokholm 

You can't beat this time of year on the reserve with the colour of the Hawthorn berries, Blackberries and the abundant seed heads of Clematis vitalba (Old Man's Beard) looking lovely in the early morning sun.
With Richard currently on the plane to Costa Rica for another 3 months with Costa Rica Bird Observatory there will probably be some exotic birds coming up on the posts in the coming months.We will be trying hard not to be too envious as we think of him doing the 2 hourly migration counts on the beach at Tortuguero

and where the migrants are rather more colourful, like this Summer Tanager

More Teifi news soon...

(Rich D and Wendy J)