Modern digital photography has become an integral part of the modern birding scene, together with the quality of modern optics means that the reading of colour rings is now easier than ever. Gone are the days when only Mute Swans could easily be read, today birders and photographers are reading and hopefully submitting their sightings to the relevant project organiser either directly or via the BTO.
Photo Trevor Fletcher
I got involved in colour ringing and subsequently general
ringing in the early 1990s. At that time I was an old school beat policeman
spending a lot of my time walking round my then patch of Porthmadog. Of course
having a bit of a passing interest in birds you noticed a lot whilst walking
about talking to people and it became apparent that the numbers of Mute swans
built up in the harbour during the summer and dispersed again in winter. As was
the case in those days any problems with anything and the police station was
first port of call and many a time have I spent helping the harbourmaster with
Mute swans caught up in crab lines etc. It
soon became very obvious that a number of these Mutes had coloured darvics on
them and that they had been ringed at various locations across north Wales. Step forwards to an eventful morning I was
crossing the harbour bridge and there were a number of young person’s there
looking at a seabird in the river channel. I stopped to ask what was there, and
was pointed out the Black Guillemot. I got chatting to the chap in charge of
what was an RSPB work experience party, and got on the subject of the ringed
swans. Well it transpired that his partner, a certain Adrienne Startford, was a
ringer and no doubt could be persuaded to ring a few more swans if we could
help with the cost of plastic rings, and so began my ringing career!
Today I am the Development and Engagement Officer for BTO
Cymru having retired from my previous employment some 16 years ago, and for 25+ years
have been involved in many colour ringing schemes; Chough, Ring ouzel, Osprey,
Red kite, and my own project on Twite. Over the past few years on my travels across
Wales talking to various groups, one of my popular topics has been “has new
Technology made traditional ringing redundant?”
I am sure many ringers have been told that with all this new-fangled
satellite stuff we won’t need to ring birds anymore, but the truth is when we fully
explain what we can get from ringing they soon change that opinion. A big part
of the talk is how a simple and relatively inexpensive colour ring can really
enhance your ringing project.
The Mute swan study we did in north Wales proved a big moult
migration into north Wales from south Lancashire, and even the Severn valley.
Where this flock gathered to moult depended on where the residents were
breeding that year, so in some years large numbers were in the mouth of the
Ogwen near Bangor, other years in the river in front of the castle at
Caernarfon and others at the Foryd. Most of the resightings were undertaken by
a number of regular watchers who got really attached to their swans now they
were easily identified individuals. The
key to keeping these dedicated watchers was consistent and prompt feedback. The myth that they
mate for life was soon disproved amongst the local breeders with some behaviour
making Eastenders look tame.
My own Twite project started in partnership with RSPB’s
Twite recovery project in Nant Francon. In the first year I started colour
ringing I dramatically increased the estimate of breeding Twite in the area and
later that winter, with thanks to a local photographer, some of my colour
ringed birds were sighted near Flint castle. Some of the coastal wintering
birds were then colour ringed and from them and retraps of other people’s birds
we found that the majority of the coastal wintering birds from Anglesey eastwards
were Scottish birds and that the majority of our welsh breeding population winter eastwards on the Dee estuary, with one moving as far as Thornham in Norfolk for the
winter.
Photo Toby Carter
If you are a keen follower of the expanding Welsh Osprey
population and follow them on social media, then most of the identification and
stories are generated by the colour rings we fit before they fledge. Yes they
have had £3000 satellite technology on some individuals, but all the family
history and sightings are achieved through the placing of a £2 engraved plastic
ring and your efforts.
Photo Kelvin Jones
Photo Kelvin Jones
There exists across Wales a number of colour ringing schemes
and all the project leaders put in a lot of time and effort looking for and
following up on sightings of their colour ringed birds. Adrienne Stratford and
Tony Cross’ long running Cough project engages with many people and
photographers across Wales and beyond, and has made a huge contribution to the conservation of Chough
across Wales, and the policy decisions made by Welsh Government. Again the
secret here is to provide feedback promptly and accurately.
So if you are just a regular birder or photographer and you
get sightings or shots of colour ringed birds please follow up by informing
somebody. You may not know who runs the scheme but Facebook and other social
media are a great way of finding out plus www.cr-birding.org. Don’t think that
somebody else has already done it, as there is often a big turnover at some of
these regular sites. A classic case being the Chough flock on the Little Orme
at Llandudno. The birds seen feeding during the day are not the same birds that
roost on the cliffs there overnight……..
In addition, Curlew are in crisis and any sightings of ringed birds are vital to help understand their conservation needs. Facebook is currently helping spread this message with sightings of returning birds from the north Wales moors regularly coming in.
Photo Tony Pope
In addition, Curlew are in crisis and any sightings of ringed birds are vital to help understand their conservation needs. Facebook is currently helping spread this message with sightings of returning birds from the north Wales moors regularly coming in.
Photo Tony Pope
A number of north Wales based birders have set up a WhatsApp
group and regularly check the high tide roosts on the north Wales coast. Their
sightings of Sandwich terns have shown the importance of the southern Irish Sea
for these birds with birds from the north east of England, southern Ireland and
Scotland all being recorded on passage in autumn. Their activities have now
expanded to migrant waders and gulls and they have built up a network of
contacts with all sightings being followed up and group members updated.
Fascinating stuff and of great use to conservation.
So let’s list the colour ring projects you might come across
in Wales: Mute
Swans, Whooper swans, Osprey, Chough, Hawfinch, Twite, Ring ouzel, Turnstone,
Sandwich Terns, Little terns, Ringed Plover, Curlew, Dipper, Yellowhammer,
Stonechat, Herring gulls, Lesser black-backed Gulls, Greater Black backed
gulls, Rock pipit ……………….
Please make your time in the field watching these birds or
just by taking their photographs help conservation efforts to help these
species by reporting your sightings. If you can’t find a scheme coordinator
contact me kelvin.jones@bto.org
.
For more information about the ringing scheme and colour
ringing visit the
BTO web site here.
Thank you Kelvin for this , great information . watched with interest you video chat last night
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Glad you enjoyed last night. When all the social distancing is sorted quite happy to reserect the originbaltalks I used to give about 2004/05 and all the other long forgotten photos and characteurs . Kelvin
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