Woodcock to Russia and other Teifi news

Woodcock EY33816 was ringed near Crymych on sheep pasture at one of our sites where we monitor wintering Woodcook on 22nd January 2014. News from the BTO this week that it had been shot in Russia in Myshinsky District north of Moscow in the Russian Federation.

This is a distance of 2824 km but in its life it had probably flown ten times that with its return migrations each year assuming it went back to the same place to breed.
We had caught it twice in 2014 and the ringing location was recorded by GPS as for all of our Woodcock captures.

This shows a typical large improved field which Woodcock seem to favour for roosting over the smaller, rougher fields around.

Other movements of birds that we have been notified of recently include a Lesser Redpoll that Charlie caught at Fygyn Common near Llanfynydd on 14th July 2018 that had been ringed at Walton in Gordano, North Somerset by Gordano Valley Ringing Group on 29th October 2017. 258 days 105 km
Also a Siskin caught at Llanfynydd on 13th July 2018 had been ringed by Gower Ringing Group at Oxwich Marsh, Swansea on 23rd May 2015. 1147 days 41km.

CES 9 was completed on Tuesday. It was fairly quiet with just 62 birds. Of the 38 new birds 11 were Wrens!  Some more Reed Warblers ringed in previous years were caught including one ringed in 2013 and only seen once since in 2015. It was good to have a visiting trainee with us while she is on holiday in the area. She will also gain experience with Whoosh netting as she will be out with Chris and one of our trainees at Mwnt to catch birds for our Linnet RAS. We were also joined by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable 8 year old with her Dad. She says that she wants to come ringing every day! It was refreshing to see a youngster with such a passion for wildlife.

Migrants over at our Mallard reed bed site on the Ceredigion side of the marsh have been increasing this week with 25 Sedge Warblers ringed in just an hour on Monday morning.

The total of new birds ringed at Mallard in July was 416

These were
Sedge Warblers 118
Reed Warbler 87
Reed Bunting  25
Swallows 169
Sand Martins 4
Other species included Wrens, Blackcaps, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Goldfinches and Willow Warblers.

August started well with a control juvenile Reed Warbler at Mallard this morning. It was ringed at Oxwich Marsh by Gower Ringing Group on the 14th July. Birds are on the move...