2024 up and running!!

 Another year with plenty of plans and enthusiasm is up and running, with over 600 new birds ringed during January. This number is yet again testament to the efforts of group members. We have not been blessed with good weather, evening thermal sessions have been hard work, and there seems to have been a general lack of birds available, so it's even more significant that we've done so well.

The main players have again been Paul at BPFarm with regular sessions for trainees, Pat out at Siskin City in mid Wales, Ben with a big catch at his parents' cottage; with Kevin, Gareth, Liz, Roy, Colin and Emma chipping in from their sites.
Liz has put in sterling work to get our 2023 annual report ready; which it is now and we will be making this available very soon.

Now for a few pictures......

I may have given the impression that Pat's mid Wales garden is only about Siskins--but although this is his main species, he is having a broader spectrum of birds calling at his feeders...

For instance this lovely male Brambling....

And this smart male Redpoll..

and just to show it's not only finches he attracts, this delightful Treecreeper has been a regular visitor, over the last 3 years

Paul has started to get a few Siskin at his feeders, as well as the more regular Yellowhammers that are a significant catch of this red data, declining species.....

Last but not least for now. It's always exciting when you manage to ring a bird of prey--but this is even more so when you're relatively newly qualified and it's on your own new site. Roy was ecstatic to catch this Sparrowhawk last week....

I've deliberately focussed on the bird's head because it shows 2 features. First you can see the brown feathers on the breast, which is a sign of an adult male bird, And the adult nature is further confirmed by the orange colour of the iris. Young Sparrowhawks have a yellow iris which mellows to this orange colour as the bird gets a bit older. Fabulous bird!.

We hope you enjoy reading the annual report which I hope will be available here very soon.