Now that's what I call--dedication!!

This is the time of year when continentally bred thrushes--Fieldfare and Redwing pile into and through Britain from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia and points east. Redwings in particular are attracted to a sound lure which was discovered only a handful of years ago. This was produced by a birder in Latvia, and it has transformed the numbers of Redwing we are able to catch. This is giving us valuable information about their whereabouts--and as we get more recaptures, more data about where and when they spend the winter months.

For a few years now, Pete has been very active in catching these birds at a lovely walled garden site, and he has caught several thousand over the period. Lately, another member of the group Kev, has found a very good site and lately, the two of them have been demonstrating their dedication to the cause. They are both out before dawn on every available morning--sometimes 4 and 5 mornings in a row--and this is paying off.

Catches have been variable, and overall Pete reckons there are fewer birds around than in recent years--but the numbers they are catching are still impressive. Kev ringed 46 and 45 in the last two days, and overall between them, they have ringed just under 700 Redwings since late October. Kev reports that there has been a significant shift in the age of the birds he's catching now. Earlier in the season adult birds predominated but now he is catching mostly juveniles. It would appear that adults migrate first and the juveniles come through a few weeks later. It would be interesting to know if other ringers are finding the same pattern. Well done chaps!!

Another form of dedication is getting your outdoor gear on and venturing out in the cold winter evenings when all sensible folk are settling down to a glass of something in front of the telly.
Such is the lot of our thermal imaging aficionados--out trying to survey and catch Skylarks and other birds roosting or feeding in fields. We are having a big bash on Friday evening so watch this space over the weekend for the results and an update on how we have been doing.
As of yesterday you can also follow us on Twitter --@Belvide Ringers