Early Winter and a White Wagtail recovery..

We started November with a second Water Rail in two days at our Mallard Pond site whilst colour-ringing and processing Reed Buntings.

Redwings so far are thin on the ground, a lack of berries on the Hawthorns etc too. By early December only 88 have been ringed at our sites.

No Blackcaps this early winter but new Chiffchaffs are present most sessions on the reserve and Firecrests continue to appear - quite a new pattern for us. Three  birds in the last session including a bird we ringed in Nov 2023.

Jane has been busy at The Emporium...a Finnish ringed Starling, a Goldfinch ringed elsewhere and some variety with Treecreeper, Firecrest and 23 Greenfinches. 

Starling   A85174 was ringed in the nest age 1  Tuusula, Uusimaa, Finland 18/05/2023

Re-encountered    Llwynygroes, Ceredigion 22/11/2024

554 days 2004km WSW

Jane is making excellent progress  developing her new site " The Emporium"  for the group. New rides cut, net locations optimised and potter traps being made. At 168m this a useful addition to our upland sites. Already 765 birds have been processed of 22 species since mid August. 

Wendy's home ringing reflects species seen on the feeders with a predominance of Goldfinches. So far this year, 310 Goldfinches processed compared with 206 Blue Tits which used to be the dominant species.

Note the mid April date of capture below - White Wagtails are our first numerous Spring passage migrant.  

White Wagtail     ABB8518

Ringed  Teifi Marshes 11/04/2018

Ring only found in South East Iceland 27/11/2024 2422 days 1541 km NNW

This White Wagtail - our 4th movement to Iceland or the nearby near Arctic waters, we also have a site faithful stopover bird too.

Chaffinch movement   ABY0026

Ringed    Boncath, Pembs 10/07/2022

Re-encountered  Llyn Llech Owain feeding station, Carmarthenshire  01/11/2024

845 days 44km ESE Paul Aubrey

Sedge Warbler   AVZ2169

Ringed   Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion 01/05/2023

Re-encountered   Frossay, Loire-Atlantique 04/08/2024 461 days 572km SSE

This Sedge Warbler movement is a typical record of one of our  migrating birds.

A good effort at recording colour ringed Reed Buntings on the Teifi Marshes by Hannah and Liz in November. 19 individuals, the oldest having been ringed in 2018.

Reserve photographers are contributing to sightings too

Colour ringed Reed Bunting - Geraint James

We hope to add to the winter season's lamping totals as the moon phases become more helpful.

(Rich D and Wendy J)

October - Firecrests, Cetti's..

A Water Rail...in the Pentood nets on the 31st, our first of the year...

Maybe some effort with potter traps as we hear several around the Marshes...

On the 19th, 3 Firecrests near the River View Point on the Reserve. Three in October, perhaps a sign of breeding sites closer than we are aware...

One was a returning bird - recorded both sides of the new year last winter. Since the 19th two further different individuals too..   

9 Firecrests so far in 2024, 3 are returning birds and our peak recording period - November is yet to start.... !

Cetti's Warblers - with 42 different individuals caught this year - including  12 re-encounters from previous years, a good year. Maybe some immigration in particular of females based on size as we continue to catch new birds.

More analysis of our Cetti's Warbler data to follow in the future.

Likely our final Reed Warbler of the year on the 30th at Mallard, a 15.2g bird with a fat score of 5 - clearly planning to migrate, thus following Diane's sighting on the 29th. 

Not our latest Reed Warbler with one caught on 2nd Nov 2021.

Whilst ringing in Mallard on the 30th, great to catch 10 Reed Buntings, though outside of the RAS study season great to re encounter 6 and colour ring 4 new birds.

Of 68 different Reed Buntings encountered this year - 28 are from previous years including three ringed in 2018

Mid winter can be very good for both catching and for photographers to record colour - ringed birds for us.

Since the middle of October weather has allowed the ringing development of the Rhiwlas site on the Reserve and some increase in effort and training.

A Redwing at Rhiwlas

Redwing are passing through but slow with lack of food this year.  The hillside at the back of Rhiwlas field is holding a roost at the moment.

With the first Woodcock are arriving at the coastal observatories - soon for us to start this seasons upland farmland studies.. Of the 164  Woodcock  we encountered earlier this year - with 17 from previous years (including 2 from 2020 and 2 from 2021) we look forward to assessing the breeding success of these European birds.

In the next blog some words and photos from Jane's new ringing site " Emporium" Off to a flying start with good early success. An update from Wendy's site too. We expect to ring at both these sites through the winter..

Recoveries

Storm Petrel  2787329

Ringed  Strumble Head 30/07/2024

Re-encountered   Copeland Bird Obs, Down, Northern Ireland 03/08/2024 4 days 298km N

So far, 22 Storm Petrels  ringed at Strumble have been re-encountered elsewhere this year, a couple of new movements....

2787310 Strumble 28/07/2024 Bardsey Island, Gwynedd 15/08/2024 18 days 84km NNE

2739418 Strumble 18/07/2024 Bardsey Island, Gwynedd 16/08/2024 395 days 84km NNE

(Rich D and Wendy J)

Autumn delights

Mid September sessions on the Teifi Marshes have been limited by adverse weather conditions. On the 18th, after a typical session of mainly young Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, the final bird of the morning was a surprise 2nd year Peregrine Falcon. 

Mixed age brown and grey feathers on the mantle

Not many adults are ringed in the UK, just 5 in 2022 and none in Wales for at least 5 years. The majority are ringed as pulli in nests.

At other sites, Karen has been ringing Meadow Pipits on Dinas Mountain and a couple of sessions in Ty Rhyg forest. The most frequently encountered bird in the last 2 weeks being Goldfinch (44) at our garden CES site.

The next blog will contain more totals and some end of season summaries.

A recent unusual Starling recovery...

Starling   LL86339

Ringed  Bancyffordd, Carms 14/11/2019

Ring only found with a metal detector under a Peregrine nest (Schedule 1 permit)  Defynnog, Powys 11/09/2024 1762 days 51km ESE 

An interesting write up of Andy's work with Starlings in a previous blog

"Starlings, tricky blighters to re-catch"

Permits and training..

Ellyn and Brennig attended the Gower Ringing Course. Jane, who has who recently had a C permit with mist net endorsement, was there as well as a helper and Chris as an assessor.

Gower Ringing Course 2024

As we start October we look forward to the first Redwings, and autumn Blackcaps usually around the second week

(Wendy J and Rich D)

Storm Petrels and Warblers

Another Storm Petrel season at Strumble Head has drawn to a close

During June, July and the start of August, 150 Storm Petrels were ringed and 12 re-encounters. 21 ringed at Strumble were re-encountered elsewhere.

Measuring the wing of a Storm Petrel 

We introduced Storm Petrel ringing not only to some of our ringing group but also some enthusiastic youngsters and other guests.

Thanks to Stephen Hyam for capturing the atmosphere of a Storm Petrel night

Some movements not detailed in previous blogs includes a Storm Petrel ringed on Alderney 40 days before.

Storm Petrel P14538
Ringed Longis Bay, Alderney 18/06/2024
Re-encountered Strumble Head 28/07/2024 40 days 327km NW

An interchange with Bardsey birds with three ringed at Strumble being re-encountered there and one ringed there re-encountered by us at Strumble

2787308 Strumble 28/07/2024 Bardsey Island, Gwynedd 11/08/2024 14 days 84km NNE

2739430 Strumble 19/07/2023 Bardsey Island, Gwynedd 19/07/2024 389 days 84km NNE

2787307 Strumble 24/07/2024 Bardsey Island, Gwynedd 10/08/2024 17 days 84km NNE

2788626 Bardsey Island 16/08/2023 Strumble 10/08/2024 360 days, 84km NNE

Away from the sea we have also been busy ringing on the Teifi Marshes, Cors Caron, Ty Rhyg forest, Dinas Mountain, St Nicholas and the Linnet RAS site.

To give a feel for the last 3 weeks, the following species have been ringed since the 20th August..

Sedge Warblers are still being caught on migration. Some heavy birds with a lot of fat have been encountered including a Sedge Warbler 18.4g fat score 7 and the heaviest Reed Warbler we have ever weighed at 15g, fat score 5.

A couple of less usual species for the Teifi Marshes, a Whinchat, Stonechat and 2 Lesser Whitethroat

Whinchat

A noticeable number of Linnets in the table for the RAS study run by Chris. These 72 were only over a couple of sessions. Annual total so far this year is 754 ringed, 335 subsequent encounters. A summary to follow at the end of the season

A very good 6 year old Linnet from Mwnt, our previous RAS site, to North Ron. A bit of research suggests this is the longest intra UK movement.

Linnet ABB9373
Ringed Mwnt, Ceredigion 16/08/2018
Re-encountered North Ronaldsay, Orkney 06/05/2024 2090 days 815km

All 12 sessions were completed for Garden CES in Llechryd. It felt a quiet year and this is confirmed looking at the data. 296 unique captures this year and 411 last year. For many sessions planning was difficult because of wind and /or rain.  Compared with last year some species stood out as being low in number. Blue Tit juveniles probably the most noticeable decrease along with Goldfinch and Great Tit juveniles. Some increases, notably Bullfinch and Greenfinch juveniles. 

Obviously conclusions can't be drawn from one garden CES alone so we will await the report from across the country later in the year 

With nest recording season nearly finished as well, we will be looking at the data from over 220 nests recorded and summarising productivity in another blog soon. A Swallow pullus from one of Andrew's study sites has already been re-encountered 19km away in a roost at Oxwich Marsh by Gower Ringing Group.

Swallow AVZ1503

Ty Coch Stables, Trimsaran 08/06/2024

Re-encountered Oxwich Marsh, Swansea 12/08/2024 65 days, 19km

The last active Swallow nest at Ty Coch Stables still
 being monitored by Andrew. A 3rd brood on top of a light.

A Cors Caron ringed Pied Flycatcher, may have been seeking a new breeding location - even if only a short distance.

Pied Flycatcher AEK1207
Ringed Cors Caron, Ceredigion 08/07/2022
Re-encountered Pen-y -Cefn, Ceredigion 01/06/2024 694 days 4km SSE


We move on into autumn, busy when weather allows, in the reed beds of the Teifi Marshes with the tail end of Sedge Warbler migration and ending the day with some Swallows coming in to roost 

Dusk on the Teifi Marshes

As we head towards winter and await the arrival of species as diverse as Redwings to Woodcock,
we will continue to monitor our main sites and plan for our winter ringing with greater
use of other trapping methods and the added ranges of winter species.

(Wendy J and Rich D)

Summer movements

Warbler and further Storm Petrel movements.  

This movement of a Reed Warbler, presumably via the Teifi Marshes to it's west Ireland breeding site - where still a very scarce breeder.

Reed Warbler  BBB2703 ringed Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion 04/05/2024

Re-encountered Shannon Airport Lagoon, Clare 20/07/2024 77 days 301km WNW Phil Brennan

Garden Warbler - an example of three primaries being moulted - leading to a suspended wing moult prior to migration. (24/7)

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler  BBB2670

Ringed  Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion 04/05/2024

Re-encountered  Litlington E Sussex 30/07/2024 87 days 362km ESE Cuckmere RG

Storm Petrel update...

Movements not published...

2739416 Strumble 18/07/2023 Calf of Man 16/06/2024 334 days 225km N

2788509  Bardsey Island   09/07/2023 Strumble 12/06/2024 339 days 86km SSW

2787306 Strumble 24/07/2024 Calf of Man 28/07/2024 4 days 225km N

2787211 Strumble 13/06/2024 Lundy Island 08/07/2024 25 days 101km SSE

2787212 Strumble 13/06/2024 Skokholm Island 28/07/2024 45 days 40km SSW

2788714 Strumble 08/07/2024 Skokholm Island 28/07/2024 20 days 40km SSW

2787275 Strumble 13/07/2024 Skokholm Island 28/07/2024 15 days 40km SSW

2787270 Strumble 13/07/2024 Skokholm Island 04/08/2024 22 days 40km SSW

2787240 Strumble 10/07/2024 Skokholm Island 04/08/2024 25 days 40km SSW

2787300 Strumble 15/07/2024 Skokholm Island 04/08/2024 20 days 40km SSW

2787322 Strumble 29/07/2024 Skokholm Island 04/08/2024 6 days 40km SSW

2787231 Strumble 01/07/2024 Skokholm Island 28/07/2024 27 days 40km SSW

2787257 Strumble 11/07/2024 Skokholm Island 04/08/2024 24 days 40km SSW

(Rich D and Wendy J)

Storm Petrel studies

A little background to our increasing effort with Storm Petrels... 

Skokholm warden, Rich Brown, believes nest site availability is a limiting factor to the breeding population on the island, currently c2000 pairs. With the building of two Petrel Stations on Skokholm with their c 250 nest chambers and with Lundy and Ramsey now rat free there is a great opportunity for the population to increase.

This is Storm Petrel Station II on Skokholm, built and ready for the 2024 breeding season.

This herringbone front contains the entrance to almost 120 nest chambers

See the following link for the story of building Petrel Station I in 2016

Skokholm Petrel Station I

Our ringing at Strumble Head, North Pembs follows on from earlier studies by Ian Spence. He commenced Storm Petrel ringing at Strumble in 1983 and ringed for short spells, mostly in July every year from 1991 to 2003. In that time he ringed 847 birds and controlled 39 at Strumble.

Having concentrated our efforts in Ceredigion at Mwnt, for the reasons outlined above, we are now increasing our efforts at Strumble instead. So far this season we have captured 124 Storm Petrels including 9 controls. 

Ringing at Strumble - Stephen Hyam

Here are some of the movements resulting from our increased effort at Strumble Head this month. In our June blog we mentioned some other movements from West coast breeding colonies. We hope that our continuing study at our non breeding site adds to the picture of Storm Petrel movements.

Storm Petrel movements July 2024

Re-encounter reports from Strumble received so far this month..

This was the first re-encounter in South West Ireland for us

2720384  Strumble Head 22/06/2023

Illauntannig, Kerry 05/07/2024 379 days 276deg W D Manley

2739421 Strumble Head 18/07/2023

Skokholm Island 10/07/2024 358 days 40km SSW

2787231 Strumble Head 01/07/2024

Skokholm Island  11/07/2024 10 days 40km SSW

2739449 Strumble Head  26/07/2023

Skokholm Island    14/07/2024 354 days 40km SSW

and this month, re-encounters at Strumble...

2765615 Lundy Island 10/07/2023

Strumble Head  11/07/2024 367 days 96km NNW

2764817 Calf of Man 24/08/2021

Strumble Head 12/07/2024 1053 days 225 km S

2774902 Skokholm Island 20/07/2023

Strumble Head 13/07/2024 359 days 40km NNE

2765786 Bardsey Island    21/07/2022

Strumble Head 14/07/2024 1454 days 84km SSW

2547826 Little Saltee, Wexford      01/07/2022

Strumble Head        15/07/2024 745 days 104km E

The recovery history feature added this year to DemOn, the BTO online reporting tool, enables us to see that some Storm Petrels are also encountered in other locations between the ringing and our re-encounter dates.

As an example, the Storm Petrel ringed on Bardsey had also been re-encountered on the Lleyn peninsula

21/07/2020 Ringed Bae y Rhigol, Bardsey

31/07/2021 Porth Iago, Llangwnnadl

22/06/2023 Porth Iago, Llangwnnadl

14/07/2024 Strumble

The Storm Petrel ringed on Little Saltee had also been re-encountered in Cornwall

01/07/2022 ringed Little Saltee

18/06/2023 Gwennap Head, Porthgwarra

15/07/2024 Strumble

Strumble Head has the advantage of being a convenient site for visitors to come along to experience and learn more about our Storm Petrel ringing. Anyone is welcome to join us at a session.

One of our trainees, Anna Webberley, who works for Sea Trust , arranged a visit for some youngsters from the Marine Biology Club with their parents.

"Our Marine Biology Club had a fantastic time on Friday night on their trip to Strumble Head to see Storm Petrels being ringed with the Teifi Ringing Group! Everyone enjoyed learning more about the importance of bird ringing for conservation as well as getting to see these amazing seabirds up close. Both children and parents had a go at perfecting their ringing hold with Bernard the toy Gull, before getting the chance to help Teifi Ringing Group members release a Storm Petrel.

Thank you to the Teifi Ringing Group for letting us join the session and thank you to Stephen Hyam for photographing the evening!"

Sea Trust Marine Biology club at Strumble - Stephen Hyam

Rich D and Wendy J

Summer species and recoveries

Regular ringing at Cors Caron (Ceredigion) is continuing to produce a variety of species, some not regular at our other sites. This juvenile Redstart and adult male Whinchat - fine examples.

Juvenile Redstart

Adult male Whinchat

Arfon is hoping that this year's CES style effort will result in Cors Caron becoming another CES for the TRG.

On the north Pembs coast our Linnet RAS site is continuing to catch well.

This leucistic Linnet stood out from the regular plumage birds. The last two sessions have produced mostly juvenile birds, presumably the adults now on second nesting attempts.

A colour ringed Osprey was around the Teifi from the 30th May until the 6th June.

Osprey 7H6 - Stuart Hall

Many thanks to several photographers for reporting this bird from Curlew Hide on the Teifi Marshes. It was one of a brood of three ringed 10km south of Inverness, on a platform that the nest was moved to after a couple of years of having the original nest site robbed in the mid 90’s. 

The birds have since been successful in all except one year and usually manage to fledge three chicks as they did in 2022 when Jon Brain ringed this one on 1 July. The nest has had a spectacular success rate for subsequent sightings including a bird seen in Guinea Bissau. Thanks to Jon Brain for the news and photos.

Osprey 7H6 at the time of ringing - Jon Brain

Pied Flycatcher studies...

Pullus Pied Flycatcher - Naomi

This link covers a summary of our Pembs locations, hopefully a summary of our Ceredigion studies to follow.

Pied Flycatchers in Pembs ...

The Group runs several nest box schemes and have added a new site this year, the National Botanic Garden of Wales near Carmarthen. Ellyn has been assisted by Andrew in finding existing boxes and monitoring them. Ellyn has written an article about the nest box work as part of Wales Nature Week 

Feathers and Fledglings: A Nesting Season at the Garden

June sees the start of our Storm Petrel monitoring. Five visits to our Storm Petrel sites so far this season, Mwnt and Strumble. 37 new birds and 2 that had been ringed elsewhere, Bardsey and Mwnt. We plan to increase our trapping efforts this summer and have demonsrations planned for local interested groups at our Strumble Head site.

Storm Petrel 2720399
Ringed Mwnt 25/06/2023
Re-encountered Strumble Head 12/06/2024

Storm Petrel   2788509
Ringed Bardsey Island 09/07/2023
Re-encountered Strumble Head 12/06/2024 339 days 86km SSW

Storm Petrel 2739416
Ringed Strumble Head 18/07/2023
Subsequently encountered Calf of Man 16/06/2024 334 days 225km N

Winter nightime studies....

Due to several of the Group's ringers spending spells in November and February ringing under the new moon in The Gambia, our winter farmland surveying and ringing at night has been reduced. This particularly affects our north Pembs farmland sites. Arfon is taking out trainees and his similar studies on Ceredigion and Carmarthen upland farms are producing excellent results and some interesting recoveries...

Woodock  EM42456

Ringed  Tan-lan, nr Ffarmers Carms 06/12/2023

Shot  Lake Yasnoe, Svetogorskiy, Leningrad Oblast, Russian Federation 13/05/2024

158 days 2239km ENE

Visiting ringers to our sites....

We are often in a position to welcome visiting ringers .. or observers to join or watch our activities

Jenny spent a few days with us ringing at CES, and both our main Reed Warbler RAS  and Reed Bunting RAS and colour ringing sites.

June was not a great month for several of our species with signs of poor breeding success. Hopefully as the weather improves and allows we will be more active in the reedbeds and across the Marshes and produce a more complete picture.

(Rich D and Wendy J)