Teifi Ringing Group: 2021 ringing totals and into 2022

2021 was a successful year for the Teifi Ringing Group with excellent results for our established studies and some good ringing plans to help the development of new studies, projects and training. We finished 2021 with 6,719 birds ringed of 67 species

Sedge Warbler at Mallard Pond

Again a drop in the species ringed compared with 72 species in 2020 and 78 species in 2019. The total number ringed has declined too, but by less than 10%. There are several factors which have affected these totals including - the effect of movement restrictions, a poor breeding season, the activities of Group ringers elsewhere, in particular Skokholm Bird Observatory where we have an excellent working relationship and visits here often involve ringers from the Group and South Wales.

Siberian Chiffchaff, one of 4 ringed in 2020

New standard searches in our BTO database, DemOn allow for different ways of looking at totals. Here we show the total number of birds ringed plus those recaught or resighted from previous years.

A summary of unique bird encounters.

Resighting colour rings by photographers on the Teifi Marshes has made a significant contribution to our RAS project and knowledge of Reed Buntings from previous years.

Reed Buntings - Colin Dalton

During the year we have written 16 blog posts, mostly monthly highlights, but also major posts from Andy updating his House Sparrow RAS and colour-ring project. Other posts of interest include projects, recoveries and visits to Skokholm Bird Observatory.

Colour-ringing Puffins on Skokholm

2021 Recoveries and Controls

The map illustrates some of the movements included in the table above.

Each movement was detailed in blogs during the year as we received them

We are very grateful to Stephen Vickers for the mapping apps he has created. The ability to to use the data directly from DemOn to produce maps like the above is invaluable.

Some variances in the species ringing totals worth mentioning....(2021/2020)

Sedge Warbler - 387/193 and Reed Warbler 265/141 a result of return to near normal study activities on the Marshes

Redwing - 333/ 213 more focus on late autumn ringing helped by our interest in catching the increasing number of Chiffchaffs later in the morning using the same nets and location.

Willow Tit - 22/1 new focus, colour-ringing and new RAS

Dipper 36/4 , Pied Flycatcher 72/28 , Barn Owl 7/3 are all increases due to the increased focus of several of the Group in nest recording, often in projects supported by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, The Woodland Trust and The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales at some of their key site in North Pembs

Gwaun Valley nest box

Leach's Petrel, Siberian (tristis) Chiffchaff, are species/sub-species ringed rarely by the Group and Black-tailed Godwit was a new species for the Group.

Black-tailed Godwit

For the fans of the Teifi Kingfishers -

Kingfisher - 10/10 no difference in the total for the last 2 years, 10 different individual Kingfishers on the Teifi Marshes.

As we start 2022 we are hoping for a year relatively free of movement restrictions. We have a great group of newer trainees, Thom, Yusef, Dan, and Morgan to help us develop our sites and projects as they develop their ringing and project skills.

Yusef measuring a Woodcock ring

Our main site will continue to be the Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve and we thank the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales for access and support - particularly Nathan Walton. We regularly ring at 3 seperate sites on the Marshes and we are developing a fourth. More on "wilti and 18 acres " as we plan and develop our activities at the site.

Willow Tit - Teifi Marshes

Studies as we enter 2022 and the future.......

CES - Llechryd, and RAS studies on House Sparrow, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler and Willow Tit will continue. Recently we have finished our RAS studies on Linnets and Siskins - we may restart both depending on sites and bird numbers. In both the Reed Bunting and Willow Tit RAS studies we also add colour-rings. This is particularly valuable with the Reed Buntings on the Teifi Marshes reserve - a great opportunity involve visitors to the reserve in our studies, and successful ! We think we will see another increase in nest recording and pulli ringing. Several of the Group like to specialize in this valuable area of study in the breeding season.