We do a couple of ringing demonstrations for the Swindon Wildlife Group each year: usually autumn and late winter. Today was our second of the year: and the most popular to date. Robin Griffiths, naturalist and organiser extraordinaire, told me that the whole thing was oversubscribed by over 100% of the maximum allowed. I really like doing them, for multiple reasons. The key one is getting the children involved, training them on how to safely handle and release a bird, as well as giving everybody the chance to see the birds up close and showing them about the ageing and sexing of them. I always start with an overview of the scheme, how it works and what the benefits are: allowing us to monitor the age, status and movements. I always illustrate that with how people thought that Swallows and Martins disappeared into the bottom of ponds in the winter, and why Barnacle Geese are so named.
I was joined for the session by Miranda, Laura, Adam and Ellie. We set the following nets:
The attendees arrived for 8:30, just as we finished setting up, and we had five birds to show: a Whitethroat, two Dunnock, Blackcap and a Great Tit. I am pleased to say that the rest of the morning went that way.
Most pleasing were the Meadow Pipits! In 2025 we only caught two in the whole year. When out checking the Barn Owl boxes last week I saw a couple of Meadow Pipits in the fields, so was hopeful we might catch a few. Yesterday morning I went to check on the site, to see what nets I was going to set, and I seeded the area that net set 2 was going to be set up with dries mealworms. It worked: 17 ringed and one retrapped. I will be interested to see where it was ringed, as it wasn’t one of my rings!
As you can see from the pale edges to the median coverts, this is a juvenile. The next photo shows the comparative colourations:
This was very satisfying but there was more:
Since 2019 we have regularly caught just two Linnets every year, and none in September. This morning we caught five! Their decline at this site is quite sad, and pretty well inexplicable. Nothing significant has changed but back in 2015 we caught 42 and the last good year was 2018, but with only 16 caught, and then it crashed completely.
This was then followed by this:It is simple enough to age: if you look at the head you can see that is still retaining a lot of juvenile head feathers. There were lots of feathers in pin under the wings. Also, the flank feathers were typically juvenile male:
The list for the session was: Blue Tit [1](1); Great Tit [2]; Dunnock [2]; Stonechat 1[2]; Meadow Pipit 3[14](1); Robin {1}; Blackcap [1]; Whitethroat [1]; Chiffchaff 1[1]; Linnet 3[2]; Starling [1]; Reed Bunting [2]. Totals: 8 adults from 4 species, 30 juveniles ringed from 12 species and 2 birds retrapped from 2 species, making 40 birds processed from 12 species.
The forecast for the morning was for virtually no wind, until about the time the attendees started drifting away, when a breeze would spring up – and that is exactly what happened. We shut the nets at 11:30 and started taking down, finishing at 12:30.
All in all, a nicely satisfying session. I know that the attendees were delighted with what they saw, and the organisers also showed their appreciation with a significant contribution to my costs. Next one will be in late February / early March.