Recent ringing at Ramsdale Park Golf Centre

As at Holme Pierrepont, the extent of the scrub is also diminishing rapidly as the trees get bigger, which is affecting the site's productivity. In the period covered we made 4 visits, getting 216 total captures. As you would expect species such as Willow Warbler, along with Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat are much scarcer now. Again the only warblers maintaining reasonable/good numbers are Blackcap and Chiffchaff.

13 July – 48 birds caught, mostly Blackcap and Chiffchaff along with a few other Warblers and a Linnet amongst a few residents caught.

2 August – 56 birds caught, again Blackcap and Chiffchaff dominated but 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Whitethroat and 5 Willow Warblers added a little variety. Limited nets this time as I was operating the site alone.

6 September – 73 birds caught, Blackcap and Chiffchaff making up the bulk of the catch but along with a few resident species caught was the first Nuthatch caught at the site.

21 September – 39 birds caught, mostly Blackcaps and Long-tailed Tits with just 3 Chiffchaffs. Limited nets again as I was operating the site alone.

Kev

Nuthatch, Ramsdale, 6 Sept (KJH)

Goldcrest, Ramsdale, 21 Sept (KJH)

 

Recent ringing at Holme Pierrepont

The willows get bigger, the scrub diminishes rapidly and the sites productivity is now a shadow of what it was. In the period covered we made 11 visits, getting only 417 total captures. In comparison only a few years ago we would have achieved that total in probably 4 visits. As you would expect species such as Reed, Sedge and Willow Warbler, along with Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat are much scarcer now. The only warblers maintaining reasonable/good numbers are Blackcap and Chiffchaff.

27 July – 31 birds caught, mostly Blackcap and Chiffchaff along with a few Reed Warblers and party of Long-tailed Tits and a few resident species. One of the Long-tailed Tits had originally been ringed in April 2022.

10 August – 51 birds caught, again mostly Blackcap and Chiffchaff along with a few Reed Warblers and a couple of Cetti’s and a few other resident species.

14 August – 33 birds caught, again mostly Blackcap and Chiffchaff but 2 Sedge Warblers were a surprise. Quite unusual to catch any thrush species here nowadays so today was exceptional with 2 Song Thrush and 4 Blackbird finding the nets. Both of the Song Thrushes were already ringed the oldest from 2022.

30 August – 42 birds caught, again mostly Blackcap and Chiffchaff but only 2 Reed Warblers, they have mostly all moved on now.

2 September – 16 birds caught, yes you read right just 16. Perfect conditions, all the usual nets, 4 experienced ringers and five MP3s playing! Just to make things worse, Mariana from the Zoological Society of London had set out from Essex at 0300 to join us to take blood samples from various species to investigate mosquito-borne viruses that affect wild birds such as Usutu virus, which has led to declines in the Blackbird population. Thankfully the majority of the tiny catch we had were Blackcap and Chiffchaff, which are both a target species for testing.

14 September – 62 birds caught, the best catch of the year for the site, amazing after the 16 birds caught on the last visit. Again mostly Blackcap and Chiffchaff, also 2 Cetti’s Warblers and a single Reed Warbler along with a few residents. A Dunnock captured was originally ringed in 2022.

25 September – 56 birds caught. the second best catch of the year for the site and with 2 nets less than usual, bizarre! 5 Blackcaps, 18 Chiffchaff and 1 Cetti’s were the only warblers the rest being mainly tits and a few residents but 2 Lesser Redpoll attracted to the sound lure were the first of the Autumn. A Dunnock captured was originally ringed in 2019.

Kev 

Portland Bird Observatory: A September Pilgrimage

My twice-yearly pilgrimage to the Portland Bird Observatory with Mick Thompson is always a highlight, and this trip from 19-22 September 2025, was no exception.

Day One: A Warm Welcome
We arrived early on Friday morning, and the sight of hirundines streaming down Chesil Beach at Ferrybridge was a clear sign of what was to come. After the long drive, we headed straight for Culverwell to help local ringer Mark "Slasher" Cutts. The weather was surprisingly warm and humid for late September, which seemed to encourage a continuous southbound flow of hirundines and pipits. By the end of the day, an estimated 10,000 hirundines had passed through.

Our morning ringing session was incredibly productive, with 58 birds caught. The majority were Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, but we also got our hands on a good mix of others, including Swallows, Grey Wagtails, Meadow Pipits, Lesser Whitethroats, Whitethroats, and a Stonechat. While we were busy, an Osprey glided overhead, heading south toward the Bill. A walk around the south of the island later in the day gave us great views of numerous Wheatears and an early Dartford Warbler. We even tried our luck for owls at the Verne in the evening with Jim’s "magic tape lure," but they remained just out of reach.

Day Two: Wind and Rain
Saturday brought a colder, breezier change. We were back at Culverwell, but the winds picked up quickly and forced us to close the nets by 10 a.m. Still, we managed to ring 48 birds, again mostly Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, but with some Willow Warblers, Meadow Pipits, and Grey Wagtails mixed in. In the afternoon, we moved to the Observatory Garden, where we caught more Chiffchaffs, along with a Reed Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher, before the rain and heavy winds stopped play completely.

Day Three: An Unexpected Visitor
Sunday was another day of ringing at Culverwell with similar species as before. The afternoon brought the most excitement, though, when a shout of “swift!” went up from the Obs patio. We were seawatching at the time, and only one person with binoculars was quick enough to confirm it was an Alpine Swift. Unfortunately, it headed northeast before anyone in the ringing shed or kitchen had a chance to see it. A great bird for those who were lucky enough to get a glimpse!

Day Four: A Grand Finale
Our plan was to head off by 10 a.m. on Monday, so we weren't expecting much. However, the cold northeasterly winds had other ideas. They pushed a large number of Chiffchaffs, Meadow Pipits, and a small group of Firecrests into our nets. With so many birds arriving, Mick went to support Mark at Culverwell, and I joined a team of Cornish ringers in the Obs garden. By the time we left, we had added Sedge Warblers and more Firecrests to our totals, with well over 200 birds rung for the day.

It was a busy but incredibly rewarding few days. Between us, Mick and I ringed over 200 birds of a great variety. The supporting cast included Passenger and Convolvulus Moths and a Bluefin Tuna that was spotted offshore. We'll be back in the spring!

Alex P.

Early September at Gedling CP

After the passage of Willow Warblers in August, the first couple of weeks of September sees Chiffchaffs becoming the main species passing through locally. Some days there seem to be birds in any given bit of cover, their distinctive and constant contact calls being a fixture of the season. 

There had been loads around at my local patch of Colwick Park, and most days they had been heard in the garden so I headed up to Gedling CP for a couple of ringing sessions to see if many were passing through the site.

My first session on the 5th was a short morning session, not starting til around 8am. In the couple of hours I had my two nets up I caught 22 birds which was manageable, and due to the absence of big tit flocks hitting the nets. Of these, 16 were Chiffchaff and it was good to try and identify old greater coverts on the young birds, which was sometimes easy, sometimes a challenge. A few tits and singles of Goldcrest and Blackcap rounded off an enjoyable session. 

I headed back for a slightly earlier session on the 9th, catching 30 birds. The first round was fairly busy, with the site's first Garden Warbler caught, but the catch quickly dropped off with the wind and sun getting up a bit. Another juvenile Green Woodpecker was good to catch, and tit numbers remained low so the catch was restricted to more of the target species. 17 were Chiffchaff, including a retrap, and another Goldcrest and 3 Blackcap were best of the rest. 

Totals for the two sessions were: 
Chiffchaff 32, Blue Tit 5, Great Tit 4, Blackcap 3, Goldcrest 2, Green Woodpecker 1, Garden Warbler 1, Goldfinch 1 and 3 retraps, a Blue Tit, a Chiffchaff and a Long-tailed Tit.

Tom

juvenile Green Woodpecker, Gedling CP 9-9-25 (TS)

Garden Warbler, Gedling CP 9-9-25 (TS)