Not our best January, with just three sessions away from our gardens, at Langford Lakes, Meadow Farm and Somerford Common on the 1st and 2nd January. Lockdown instructions from the BTO on the 6th January put a stop to any ringing away from your own property.
It isn’t our lowest ever January catch: between 2013 and 2017 only 2016 was a better January than this. Since then we have had much higher catches but compared to last year though it really was a low catch – so I haven’t done a year-on-year comparison, as there is no real value in it.
Jonny was lucky enough to get our first Water Rail since 2009 (apart from my first on Skokholm in September 2019) and his first, and the first caught at Langford Lakes.
Although I have done plenty of Pied Wagtails as a trainee, and one at Blakehill Farm, I was fortunate enough to catch my first one for my garden this month:
It doesn’t look like we will be getting out again any time soon and, I don’t know about anyone else, but the birds seem to have abandoned my garden: 2 birds yesterday, and Ellie had 1 bird caught in her garden today. It is not looking good for February!
Ringing In The Braydon Forest & Beyond 