Another decent month for the group when compared with previous Aprils. However, compared with April 2021, we have failed to get a similarly good spread of species: a total of just 31 species compared to 39 processed last year.
So what is missing this year? Curlew: not really surprising given the previous history. That said, we have had a good number of resightings of the leg tagged Curlew ringed last year. After its winter sojourn at Portscatho in Cornwall, where it was last sighted on the 23rd January, it was next reported at CWP 200 on the 5th March and has been seen regularly around the the Thames and on Blakehill Farm since.
Some of our usual woodland species: Great Spotted Woodpecker and Jay, Lesser Redpoll (a Biss Wood example so is it resident or a winter visitor?). The Kingfisher apart, the other species missed this year were those caught out on the Imber Ranges area, particularly the missing Stonechats and Yellowhammers. It just shows how influential certain sites can be in skewing the group results.
Added this April was another 3 Dipper, ringed as part of Jonny’s Bybrook Dipper project. It has certainly started well. Alongside that, Andy added a Grey Wagtail at one of his sites and we had a couple of Garden Warblers arrive at Langford Lakes towards the end of the month.
Ringing In The Braydon Forest & Beyond 