Home to CES 4......and the Long Point finale..

CES 4.....17 new and 34 retraps.
Of  the new, only two juveniles both of which Robins ! We are not having an early breeding season here in West Wales. A nice Blackbird this morning....XC30930, a female which was ringed as a juvenile on the first day of the Teifi Ringing Group's activities on the 15th August 2008 !
This bird has not been seen since 2010, but breeding with us this year !
An adult male Greenfinch this morning too..originally ringed in Wendy's garden in Feb 2012...

Wendy has posted notes from Long Point Bird Obs. in Canada whilst I have been banding there.....so here is the final picture !

During my six week stay, we banded 7500+ birds at The Tip banding station. (they have three stations)
 I also spent 10 days banding at Breakwater.....15kms along the spit towards the mainland.
Variety is the real joy out here, with eleven visiting ringers from the UK each ringing approx 80-90 species during their stay.
For the complete picture see Bird Studies Canada LPBO
Some highlights since I returned from 10 days at Breakwater Banding Station.....

Yellow and Black-billed Cuckoos...

A hand caught (by Stu) Whip-poor-Will...

A real stunner of a warbler..

...the second of the two Yellow-throated Warblers which alongside three Cerulean Warblers, a Swainson's Warbler and this Worm-eating Warbler - all of which were banded....was more than a dream hat-trick !!!

The highlight for Mick Townsend of Stanford RG who made the 6 week visit too....and the past two years we have had together... was this fine Nelson's Sparrow...

The lasting experience for me was seeing this Yellow-breasted Chat staring at me from net nine at Breakwater.

This beauty outshone the Yellow-throated Vireo in the shelf above.... that being a very good bird too..
So back on the Teifi...with plans for Long Point Bird Obs Spring 2014 firmly in Mick and my plans.