Reedbeds and recoveries...

Siskins are moving, some populations moving on towards breeding grounds, other arriving.

Female Siskin

Sand Martins arrived on the 27th and seen daily into March. We plan to start preparing then ringing the Mallard site in the coming weeks. Following the reed cut earlier in the month and the water levels dropping, a spell of  wader netting should be possible..

A view of this year's reed cut from the railway net ride..This area is tidal and wader roosts are mobile dependjng on water depth.

A new cut, alongside a path that connected 4 net rides at 90 degrees. I see little extensions and maybe a dog-leg to enhance...

With another phase of the moon suitable for lamping a couple of teams have been out surveying different types of fields at night. 

Wendy with Hannah and Liz found that on a couple of our North Pembs sheep pasture sites, the Woodcock were roosting in groups and flighty. This is known as "zugunruhe", a state of restlessness that migratory birds have prior to setting off on their migration. Fewer Snipe than usual at Cippyn but one was ringed.

Shane has been surveying some new farms in Carmarthenshire. It will be interesting to compare different  farming practices across all of our sites in years to come. He has introduced some of Pembs RG to lamping.

Dave from Pembs RG with a  Woodcock, the 50th Woodcock ftom Shane's new upland study farmland.

More Sedge Warbler movements have been received since the last blog.

The most southerly was this to Charente Maritime 

BBB2680  

Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion 04/05/2024

Les Mathes, Charente Maritime 20/08/2025 473 days 754km SSE

These 2 were adults caught during peak spring migration of adult Sedge Warblers

BBB3333  

Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion 06/05/2025

Sandouville, France 21/08.2025 107 days 452km SE

BBB3320  

Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion 04/05/2025

 Sandouville, France 07/08/2025 95 days 452km SE

(Rich D and Wendy J) 

January update and news from France

January started with some very cold frosty weather then came the wet and windy weather which hasn't stopped. This has made any ringing difficult to plan. Despite that, the group managed to ring 490 birds utilising other methods than mist nets such as Potter traps, walk in traps and lamping. Often in the winter the most frequently ringed birds are Blue Tits but this January it was 129 Starlings. 

Lamping has been successful but challenging on waterlogged fields with 80 Woodcock being the third most caught bird.

Woodcock after ringing - Arfon

Both Jane and Shane have new sites for monitoring at night. An interesting site for Jane on the coast adds variety of habitat to the inland upland sites. As well as Woodcock, a variety of other species have been caught this month including Skylarks, Golden Plover, Snipe, Stock Dove, Redwing, Fieldfare, Meadow Pipits and Jack Snipe.

Jane and Aaron have used the time usefully putting up nest boxes. An appeal to landowners with possible sites for Starling boxes was successful. 30 boxes on one farm.

Starling boxes - Jane

Some Dipper boxes have gone up as well. 

Garden ringing has been frustrating with many birds on the feeders in bad weather then as soon as there is a glimmer of a chance to open nets the birds disappear. there has been a noticeable increase in Siskins on the feeders in the last 2 weeks

Our AGM was held on the 22nd January at The Grosvenor Hotel. A good turn out of members, guests and a special welcome to some of Pembs Ringing Group. All ringers with responsibility for sites gave a summary of the year and plans for the coming year. Minutes of the meeting are available on request.

Some recent recoveries received from the BTO included 5 Sedge Warblers ringed on the Teifi Marshes and caught in France on migration,

BKB3659  Sedge Warbler

Ringed Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion  01/07/2025

Re-encountered  Pontorson, Manche, France 15/08/2025 45 days 448km SSE

BTE5797  Sedge Warbler    

Ringed Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion 06/09/2025

Re-encountered Frossay, Loire Atlantique, France 16/09/2025 10 days 570km SSE

BKB3757  Sedge Warbler    

 Ringed Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion 02/08/2025 

Re-encountered  Trunvel, Treogat, France 14/08/2025 12 days 467 km S

BHH6716  Sedge Warbler   

Ringed Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion

Re-encountered  26/07/2025 Donges, Loire-Atlantique, France 01/08/2025 6 days, 562km  SSE

AAZ6828  Sedge Warbler  

Ringed Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion

Re-encountered 29/04/2023 Donges, Loire-Atlantique, France 16/08/2025 840 days 562km SSE

and one from Cors Caron

BZB0810  Sedge Warbler 

Ringed Cors Caron, Tregaron 20/05/2023

Re- encountered  Donges, Loire-Atlantique, France 05/08/2025 808 days 565km SSE

This brings the number of Sedge Warbler movements to and from, the Teifi Marshes in 2025 to 15

Details of all movements can be seen under the ringing totals tab

2025 Teifi Ringing Group Movements

Another 2 Storm Petrel movements have been received making 23 in 2025

2787269 Strumble Head 13/07/2024 Pomta de Almadena, Portugal Re-encountered17/06/2025 339 days 1688km S

2788765 Strumble Head 14/07/2025 Re-encountered Sanda Island, Argyll and Bute 11/08/2025 28 days 363km N Clyde Ringing Group

The forecast for the start of the month continues to be wet and windy but at least the moon phase is now better for lamping.

Storm Petrel movement report 2025

 Storm Petrel Movement Report 2025

Summary of Recoveries and Movements Involving Strumble Head and Associated Sites

In 2025 between June 19th and July 30th we processed 115 Storm Petrels at Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire, of which 109 were new birds. This is lower than the 2024 total of 162.

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1. Overview

The dataset documents 32 individual Storm Petrel movements involving Strumble Head and a network of colonies and coastal observatories across the Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, and eastern Atlantic. Movements range from short‑distance local exchanges (40–100 km) to long‑distance dispersal events exceeding 1,600 km. The records highlight Strumble Head as a major node in regional Storm Petrel movements, with repeated exchanges between Welsh, Irish, English, and Portuguese sites.

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2. Key Movement Patterns

2.1 Dominant Local Movements

The most frequent pattern involves Strumble Head ↔ Skokholm Island, with 15 movements recorded.

• Distance: consistently 40 km
• Direction: SSW (to Skokholm) or NNE (to Strumble)
• Time intervals: 2 to 743 days
• These movements indicate strong short‑range connectivity between the two Welsh sites, likely reflecting foraging movements. 

2.2 Movements to Bardsey Island

Five birds moved between Strumble Head and Bardsey Island, all travelling 84–86 km NNE.

• Durations: 3–26 days
• These short‑interval movements suggest regional dispersal within the northern Irish Sea.

2.3 Movements to Lundy Island

Two movements link Strumble Head and Lundy Island (95–97 km SSE).

• Durations: 40–378 days
• These represent medium‑range movements within the Bristol Channel region.

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3. Long‑Distance Movements

3.1 Ireland (Cork and Wexford)

Several birds travelled between Strumble Head and southern Irish sites:

• Galley Head (271 km W) – 9 days
• Cape Clear (312 km W) – 25 days
• Little Saltee, Wexford (104 km E) – 46 days
  These movements demonstrate cross‑Celtic Sea travel.

3.2 Isle of Man

One bird moved from Calf of Man → Strumble Head:

• 225 km S over 340 days

3.3 Portugal

The most distant movement in the dataset:

• Strumble Head → Pomta de Almadena, Portugal
• 1688 km S over 339 days
  This record highlights the species’ capacity for extensive Atlantic dispersal.

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4. Notable Individuals

• 2739422 & 2739428
• Both moved from Strumble Head to Skokholm Island after 743 days, the longest intervals recorded.
• 2788730
• Recorded twice in the same season:
• Strumble → Bardsey (24 days)
• Strumble → Skokholm (33 days)
• Demonstrates multi‑directional dispersal within a short timeframe.
• 2787269
• The only bird recorded travelling to Portugal, representing the longest movement (1688 km).

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5. General Interpretation

• Strumble Head functions as a central hub for Storm Petrel movements in the region, with birds dispersing in all directions.
• The majority of movements are local (40–100 km), consistent with foraging and short‑range colony interchange.
• A smaller number of medium‑range movements (100–300 km) link Wales with Cornwall, Wexford, and the Isle of Man.
• Long‑distance movements (>300 km), this demonstrates the species’ ability to traverse large sections of the northeast Atlantic.
• The presence of multi‑year intervals (up to 743 days) suggests repeated site fidelity or re‑encountering of individuals across seasons.

---

6. Conclusion

The dataset provides a valuable snapshot of Storm Petrel mobility across the Celtic Sea and adjacent waters. The strong clustering of movements around Strumble Head and Skokholm Island underscores the importance of these sites for monitoring regional population dynamics. Occasional long‑distance recoveries, including the movement to Portugal, highlight the broader Atlantic context of Storm Petrel ecology.

(Wendy J and Rich D)

Night time surveys and RAS results

 Now Shane has his permit for lamping waders...

Off to a good start with three Woodcock ringed on a new Preseli hills site, which he plans to visit and monitor regularly.

We have had initial reports for our RAS studies from the BTO.

It was another good season for Reed Warblers on the Teifi Marshes and we are continuing to surpass the target of 30 adult-adult recaptures. This year was our best year yet for adults overall with more adults ringed than ever before. Retraps were also very good with totals like this were last seen in 2017. 

Reed Buntings had a much better year than last year, with higher re-encounters than usual since 2021. Really good juvenile totals which would hopefully bolster the population next year. 

Chris will report on the Linnet RAS

Field sightings of ringed birds are a useful addition to retrapping them....

On a day when it was too windy to ring, Aaron used the time usefully by reading metal rings on Starlings in his garden. Hannah and Liz have been busy photographing Reed Bunting colour rings on the Teifi Marshes with 30 individuals resighted this winter. 

In November they found 2 Turnstones with flags at Llanon. Both had been ringed at Llanrhystud by Mid Wales ringers, PET on the 1st March 2025 and LEE on the 10th September 2025.

Colour marked Turnstones- Hannah

Jane has been successfully using her land ( Emporium) and other sites nearby for training. Providing both variety and numbers. With 2240 new and 1346 re-encounters covering  29 species.

Merlin

This Merlin was a surprise for Aaron in one of the Emporium mist nets on the 30th Dec. On the 6th January a Pied Wagtail got 2026 off to a good start.

As we post this, we are trapping Starlings in a couple of garden sites..the most interesting Starling so far - a re encounter at Wendy's of a bird ringed in January 2023. A nice site faithful winter visitor.

(Wendy J and Rich D)

Lamping and recoveries ....

Before the recoveries....

A summary from Arfon of his early winter lamping...

"Tonight was probably my last dazzling session of 2025 so here's a quick tot up of waders ringed so far this winter - 3 Snipe, 8 Jack Snipe, 12 Golden Plover and 125 Woodcock. Diolch to everyone who has been out with me and helped make the first half of the winter such a success."(Dec 23rd)

Jane has also started lamping, this her first Woodcock with Aaron

A few recoveries showing movements of birds not posted yet...

Linnet BEE7690

Moylegrove 16/06/2025

Alderney C.I 11/10/2025 117 days 318km SE

Ths is an excellent record of a movement of one of our RAS Linnets. More on the Linnet RAS results for this year from Chris to follow.

Reed Bunting AJD2766

Pennorth, Powys 10/12/2018, Llangorse RG

Cors Caron 17/10/2025 2503 days 55km NW 

Although not far, this is the longest distance movement for any of our Reed Buntings. Note the age of this one, ringed in 2018.

Blackcap BTE5068

Llwyn y Groes 22/09/2025

Trimley Marsh, Suffolk 11/10/2025

19 days 366km E

An unusual movement in an easterly direction.

Starling KP1183

Silutes, Lithuania 13/06/2025

Llwyn y Groes, Ceredigion 02/12/2025

172 days 1694km W

This is the 7th Starling ringed in Silutes, Lithuania that the TRG have caught and two of ours to the same ringing station. We have also caught Starlings ringed in Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium and Finland.

Sedge Warbler       BHH6697

Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion 25/07/2025

Les Sables-D'Olonne, Vendee 16/08/2025

 22 days 649km SW

 

A typical movement of a Teifi ringed Sedge Warbler on autumn migration. A paper in Bird Study this month evaluated the use of the Atlantic flyway by Sedge Warblers. Abstract can be read here.

Great Tit       PF11442

Ffos Las racecourse 10/05/2023 ringed as a chick in a nest box.

Sydd Melyn 14/11/2025

910 days 3km S - found entangled in crop netting.

Goldfinch      ARL6436

Oxwich Marsh, Swansea 05/03/2022

Llwyn y Groes, Ceredigion 03/12/2025

1369 days 69km E  

     

(Wendy J and Rich D )       

Manxies and Sedge Warblers

The prolonged spell of unsettled weather has brought our migration monitoring to a standstill.

Sedge Warbler total for this autumn season is up on last year... looking at numbers for the Teifi Marshes since the beginning of July we have ringed 560 Sedge Warblers, 282 Reed Warblers, 29 Cetti's Warblers and 4 Grasshopper Warblers. A more detailed look at the migration season across all sites in a later blog.

The map shows the movements of Sedge Warblers so far this autumn season with a general trend of SW to us and SE away from the Teifi and Cors Caron to the south coast.

Sedge Warbler BHH6237 Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion 06/08/2025

Carey Floodplain, Dorset 11/08/2025 5 days 232km SE Stour RG

Sedge Warbler  BHH6083 Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion 02/08/2025

Durlston Country Park 03/08/2025 1 day 249km SE Stour RG

Sedge Warbler  BZF3435 Cors Caron, Tregaron 08/08/2025

Carey Floodplain, Dorset 22/08/2025 14 days 212km SE Stour RG

Some of the group have been involved with ringing Manx Shearwaters stranded on land by stormy weather. Manx Shearwater Rescue in Pembrokeshire rescued over 500. Shane helped ring and release some of these with Pembs Ringing Group. 

Sea Trust in Fishguard also helped with stranded birds, particularly in the ferry port. These were ringed before released (at sea) led by Richard. 

This bird was found in a garden in Cilgerran (photo - Liz)

Ringing of these birds is important because in the future they might be found breeding on Skomer or Skokholm. Pembs RG have just had a report of a bird rescued and released on Freshwater West beach in 2011 and  found breeding on Skomer this year

(Wendy J and Rich D) 

Early migration and key species

Over the last 4 weeks 487 Sedge and 188 Reed Warblers have been ringed. A minimum, but showing the scale and importance of the Teifi Marshes Reserve. Not only for breeding but also for feeding as they journey south to Africa.

Adult Sedge Warbler

Recoveries from our current ringing has produced the following movements...

Reed Warbler  BKB3696

Ringed Teifi Marshes 9th July Re-encountered Seaton Wetlands, Devon 3rd Aug 25 days 187km

Reed Warbler BDE0787

Ringed Llangorse Lake 9th July Re-encountered Teifi Marshes 25th July 16 days 96km WNW

Sedge Warbler BCD5915

Ringed Stanford Resvr 25th July Re-encountered Teifi Marshes 2nd Aug 8 days 243km W

Sedge Warbler BHF2581

Ringed Warrington 12th July Re-encountered Teifi Marshes 6th Aug 25 days 195km SW

Early season movements to and from the Teifi Marshes

Birds captured from the Teifi Marshes and other TRG sites are shown in the table below..

Linnets are from the Lleine RAS study site, Willow Tit and Whinchat are from Cors Caron- not all species are listed, but are included in the totals..

The post above is a snapshot of the late July - early August ringing this year. A very good spell for warblers in particular the acros. One of the best early autumn's totals and we look forward to the following weeks - a very good breeding season... or an early migration....

(Rich D and Wendy J)