The Ivel Ringing Group was formed in 1990 and currently consists of half a dozen ringers and as many trainees/helpers. We operate at sites across Bedfordshire, some associated with the river Great Ouse, but concentrating on the CES sites as well as catching Mute Swans.

Saturday, 18 April 2009

Male Chiff - wing 62, e6, wp4, 2=7-8 - the half eye-ring showing better in a photo. A little bedraggled at this time of year.

Out alone, set 4 nets (eventually) in the tallest coppice because of the strength and direction of the wing (NE, increasing >F4).Nevertheless, caught 8/12 (new/old) - Wren 1/0, Dunno 2/2, Blabi 0/1, Blaca 1 F/3 M, Chiff 3/0, Bluti 0/1, Greti 0/2, Chaff 0/2, Bullf 1/0.Best bird of the day was a female Chaff caught as a 5 in April 2004 but not 'seen' since (now =1819 days); the male was a bird we caught last month as a 6.Next best were the Blaca's - first a new female aged 6, then 'old hands' from April 2004 when a 5M (now = 1840 days), a 3J from June '06 and a 5M from June '07.New Chiff's were 1 male & 2 females, one of which was in egg (as was the female Bluti). The male retrap Bluti (2007 bird) was virtually bald, with no feathers on the back of its head.Oyk and Siskin over plus a Robin feeding young that was impossible to get to!The cowslips are probably at their best at the moment.

British Trust for Ornithology

Bird ringing in Britain and Ireland is organised and co-ordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).A network of over 2,500 highly trained and licensed volunteers currently ring over 850,000 birds every year. On average only one in every one hundred birds ringed is subsequently recaught elsewhere or found by a member of the public and reported.

Every report of a ringed bird is therefore of extreme value. To report a dead or colour-ringed bird, go to http://www.ring.ac .For more information about ringing in the UK and Eire, please go to http://www.bto.org/. A ringing scheme operates in every European country and most countries of the world.