Bird Ringing at Meresands Wood!

During my time at Meresands Wood, training with Brian and Dave, I was lucky enough to be able to handle and ring some wonderful species, including several exotics. Some of the species listed below, I never thought I would have the chance to see close up, such as Crossbill and Bearded Tit.

1. Mute swan - 21


2. Greylag goose - 4


3. Canada goose - 11


4. Shelduck - 5


5. Mallard - 6


6. Pintail - 1


7. Pochard - 1


8. Tufted duck - 1


9. Kestrel - 1


10. Sparrowhawk - 1


11. Coot - 4


12. Oystercatcher - 82


13. Ringed plover - 8


14. Grey plover - 6


15. Knot - 3


16. Sanderling - 10


17. Turnstone - 1


18. Dunlin - 76


19. Redshank -8


20. Bar-tailed godwit - 10


21. Curlew - 1


22. Black-headed gull - 2


23. Herring gull - 1


24. Woodpigeon - 2


25. Kingfisher - 1


26. Great-spotted woodpecker - 2


27. Sand martin - 1


28. Swallow - 3


29. House martin - 1


30. Wren - 2


31. Dipper - 2


32. Dunnock - 14


33. Robin - 13


34. Song thrush - 2


35. Mistle thrush - 1


36. Blackbird - 15


37. Garden warbler - 2


38. Blackcap - 4


39. Whitethroat - 1


40. Sedge warbler - 13


41. Reed warbler - 59


42. Willow warbler - 13


43. Chiffchaff - 11


44. Goldcrest - 1


45. Pied flycatcher - 1


46. Blue tit - 19


47. Great tit - 10


48. Coal tit - 4


49. Marsh tit - 2


50. Long-tailed tit - 12


51. Bearded tit - 5


52. Nuthatch - 1


53. Treecreeper - 1


54. Starling - 4


55. House sparrow - 1


56. Tree sparrow - 14


57. Grey wagtail - 1


58. Chaffinch - 33


59. Brambling - 13


60. Linnet - 1


61. Lesser Redpoll - 1


62. Goldfinch - 7


63. Greenfinch - 35


64. Siskin - 6


65. Bullfinch - 4


66. Crossbill - 2


67. Reed bunting - 9

After about a year and a half of training under Brian, I had managed to ring a total of 613 birds, of 67 species and process a further 397 re-traps. Personally I processed a grand total of 1,010 birds, including 80 pullus.

Huge thanks to Brian Hopkins, Dave Fletcher, Kane Brides, Steve Christmas, John Wilson, Stephen Menzie, Seumus Eaves, Phil Ireland, Steve Dodd, Rachel Taylor and Kelvin Jones for letting me come and ring with them over that period.