Mid April migration....

Mid April has historically been the peak of White Wagtail migration through the Teifi Marshes. Roosts have been small this year with a maximum of 50 seen but 62 have been ringed. This is the second highest number since we started targeting them in 2014.

White Wagtail

While waiting for the Wagtails to roost we have enjoyed the spectacle of a few hundred hirundines, mostly Sand Martins at dusk. These usually flock together then spiral higher and higher and leave before it is dark. However one evening they dropped into the marsh and an unprecedented 30 Sand Martins were ringed.

Waiting for Wagtails -photo MH

The reed beds are getting busier at dawn too. Since the first Sedge Warbler on the 17th, 135 have been caught (up to the 24th) including one with a French ring and one ringed in Wiltshire. An unprecedented number this early, we usually see peak migration early May - and still expect too.

Sedge Warbler - WJ

Sedge Warbler  AFZ6861

Ringed  Langford Lakes 15/08/2022

Re-encountered  Teifi Marshes, Ceredigion 11/04/2025 981 days 214km WNW West Wilts RG

The first returning Reed Warblers too with six up to the 24th. The oldest was ringed in 2019.

With ringing at three sites across the Teifi Marshes this April  we encounter variety, not just reed bed species. The Pentood marsh site with reed bed and woodland edge is back in action with a good number of Sedge Warblers, Cetti's Warblers  and Chiffchaffs on the first session. At the drier river viewpoint site also passage Sedge Warblers and Willow Warblers, Blackcaps and returning Chiffchaffs last week. Both sites complement the wetter Mallard reedbed site.   Interesting that all three sites ringed Whitethroats, not a regular species on the Marshes.

Whitethroat - photo JDB

Following a trial run of a CES at Cors Caron last year, the site is ready for the season ahead.

The nesting season for Dippers starts early. The group monitors boxes at various locations in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. The first chicks have been ringed, a couple of adult re-encounters from last year and new adults. 

Ellyn monitoring Dipper nests - photo JDB

A typical movement and reason for recovery for one of the 221 Woodcock handled by us in 2024

Woodcock     EM78703

Ringed  Ffarmers, Carms 02/02/2024

Shot  Gnezdilvo, Ivanovo O, Russian Federation 17/04/2025 439 days 2961km E

A good start to our migration monitoring on the Marshes, the next couple of weeks up to c 10th May should produce more migrant ringing.

Then we focus on the monitoring of  breeding species, CES, RAS studies and nestboxes...

(Wendy J and Rich D)

Waders to warblers - Spring

The annual commercial reed cut for thatching on the Teifi Marshes gives us an opportunity for wader catching. As the tide pushes birds off the river edges they move to the cut area to feed and roost.

The reed cut mud is covered in tracks of Snipe, Curlew, ducks and geese

On the 18th March, an adult female islandica race Black-tailed Godwit was ringed. With only 2 Black-tailed Godwits around at the moment it has been possible to watch the gradual change into breeding plumage of this ringed bird. It is still present on the 30th.

A Curlew that we ringed with a metal ring in April 2022 was caught and colour rings added. It has since been seen regularly from various hides on the Teifi Marshes.

Curlew J0 - Tommy Evans

Two Jack Snipe were also caught in the wader net.

While still quiet on our drier sites there has been a notable arrival of Willow Warblers this week. After a very early Willow Warbler ringed on the 20th March, on the 24th a catch of 11 Willow Warblers outnumbering the 5 Chiffchaffs. Over the winter period, the majority of Reed Buntings seen were colour ringed but currently more unringed birds are turning up and being added to the pool of colour ringed birds for our RAS.

Dipper nest checks have started but no chicks yet. Sometimes Grey Wagtail nests are encountered when looking for Dippers. Andrew monitored some in the Gwendraeth valley which resulted in an interesting movement of one of the Grey Wagtail chicks.

Grey Wagtail nest site and pulli - Andrew Hughes

Grey Wagtail  AVZ2443 was ringed as a pullus in a nest under a bridge in Pont Henri, Carmarthenshire. On the 18th April this year it was found dead by the roadside in Hartland, Devon

331 days 95km SSW

On the 22nd, the first visit to Lleine, our Linnet RAS site. It was pleasing to catch 52 Linnets as only two were seen on a visit the week before. 

The following visit on the 27th yielded 102 Linnets...

A new species for Emporium near Tregaron. Only the 6th to be ringed by the group.

A Rook

(Rich D and Wendy J)