Spring Wagtails

With the White Wagtail passage tailing off, last night was probably the final session of the spring to target the roost at dusk. A total of 119 birds were ringed in April with no retraps. Only a handful were Pied Wagtails, the rest were White Wagtails. This was our first effort at catching them in Spring and we have been surprised at the number caught.
Whether this was a just a particularly good year for migration along the West Wales coast remains to be seen when we repeat the exercise in 2012. We have successfully targeted Autumn Wagtail roosts on the marsh before so will be trying again this year, a much more challenging time of year to separate the races so some homework to do before then.

Paris 6580750

Following on from last nights 2 retrap Reed Warblers, 1 more this morning. The 3 Reed Warblers all retraps, were all adults when ringed last year.

12 new Sedge Warblers over the 2 sessions, but quite exciting, a control - Paris 6580750... we await it's history. Also a retrap from last year, ringed as a 3J, our first returning ringed juvenile.

To finish the morning (0730) this Grasshopper Warbler our 1st of the season !!

Reed Warblers back home !!

Putting up nets to furl, ready for a couple of early hours in the morning, 2 Reed Warblers trapped, both ringed last year. Very pleased with our efforts. Also a couple of new Sedge Warblers, and perhaps the last White Wagtail ringed of the Spring passage?, only c20 over the reedbed tonight.

TRG trip to Portland

The hot, dry summery weather failed to drop the hoped for migrants into Portland for us. Good to catch some different species though including this Skylark. Those caught by the group previously have all been at night by dazzling.

We probably caught more Broad bodied Chasers than birds!

We managed some good birding instead with a Lesser Yellowlegs and Garganey at the Somerset Levels on the journey down and this Long Billed Dowitcher at Lodmore RSPB.

A fall of Wheatear on Sunday was impressive with c300 birds in just a few horse paddocks with a couple of Yellow Wagtails too.


Little Terns at Ferrybridge and the Marsh Harrier and Bearded Tits at Radipole too with Avocets and 2 Hobbies at Goldcliff on the Gwent Levels on the way home added variety to the trip.
Although the ringing was quiet we learnt a lot as usual especially about nets so a lot of new ideas to try. Thanks to Peter Morgan and Martin Cade at Portland Bird Observatory.
(Photos - Dawn)

Ringing Group Trip

No ringing on the Teifi over Easter as we are off on a TRG trip to Portland Bird Observatory in Dorset. Hopefully some interesting migrants to ring.
The Springwatch Easter special was filmed at the Observatory. Should be worth watching on Monday at 8pm.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010tbjs

Today's birds

Some photos that Dawn took this morning at Gwbert, a female Blackcap and a Willow Warbler.


The passage of White Wagtails continues with another 8 ringed this evening on the marsh.

A morning at Gwbert

A net waiting for a fall of migrants!

It was a very cold dawn start today at this new, potentially superb, estuary site in the dunes with a good marshy area and scrub. Caught a few Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff as it warmed up but generally quiet. A good number of Whitethroats around starting to nest.