Brendan Sheils

Willow Warbler control: Data back from BTO. Ringed Salisbury Plain, Amesbury, North Wilts on 2nd Aug by North Wilts Ringing Group. and retrapped Charmouth Dorset 8th Aug. 88km SouthWest in 6 days. Awesome recovery!

Red footed Falcon showing well early morning on Holt Heath before flying off high to the south hawking over heathland. Brilliant birding with nice additional cast of breeding heathland species seen including Dartford W, Cuckoo, Woodlark, Tree Pipits & Crossbill. @DorsetBirdClub

New years birding been off to a lovely start. Great views of Purple Sandpipers and Black Redstarts at Lyme Regis this morning then a short pop over to Seaton to see the Siberian/Eastern type Lesser Whitethroat showing superbly in the gardens of the Bowling Club area.

Last session for November with 67 ringed including 4 new Yellowhammer & plenty of Reed Bunting. Tristis type Chiff, 2 Firecrest best from the tit flocks. Notable number of Mipits, Stonechats & Skylarks in the Rewild fields. Vizmig Snipe, Lapwing & Golden Plover & mix finch flocks

Lovely productive mornings ringing produced nice mix of usual species for this time of year along with another Cirl Bunting. A 2nd bird also present in the rewilding fields. Several wintering Chiff, crests and a few thrushes made for enjoyable session.

Fantastic hike today from Swanage to Winspit Valley onto St Aldhelms head and back via Durlston. Birding highlights 2xYBW, Woodcock, flyover Lapland Bunting, Merlin, masses of thrushes and crests, Tristis type Chiff, Redpolls and some Brambling flyovers.

Pallas’s Warbler and Yellow-browed Warbler present in copse of woodland/gardens at Peveril Down/Point - Swanage this evening very elusive but showed briefly with mobile tit flock.

This stunning Pallas’s leaf Warbler showing incredible well now in woods by Durlston Castle. Poss 2nd bird present. Also 1 YBW and lots of Goldcrest and 15+ Firecrests

Another busy day ringing on site 06am-3.30pm. 108 ringed & 3 controls! Firecrest (RCV), Chiff( RVL)+ Dutch Arnhem ringed Chiff. Outstanding vizmig over with 1000’s Woodpigeon, 100+ Chaff & Thrushes. Small No of Brambling, Redpolls, Buntings /Pipits. 3 Hawfinch & 5 Woodlark.

What a fantastic morning! 1st record of Cirl Bunting for site. Nice array of species with Buntings, Crests and Tit flocks ringed. Another first for site very brief views and calls heard of a Pallas’s W near ringing area on 10am net round with No further sign. Absolutely chuffed !

Super mornings ringing with nice mix of Reed Buntings, Yellowhammers and Meadow Pipits and this stunning Cirl Bunting trapped and ringed. 1st ringing record for the site.

Productive mornings ringing with 18 Reed bunting, 15 Lesser Redpoll and 5 Firecrest. Ring Ouzel flushed early am. Hawfinch, Brambling and 100+ Redpoll noted vizmig.

A nice arrival of Goldcrest this morning with 42 ringed. Plenty of roving tit flocks around today and an increase in Robins and Thrushes. A Yellow browed W heard in non-ringable area didn’t materialise in nets. Overall a productive mid October session. Hawfinch/ROuzel vizmig over

Another busy mornings ringing in the Rewilding Fields produced 115 ringed including 58 Chiff and 27 Reed Bunting. A nice mix of species today also included Yellowhammer, late Garden Warbler and control Reed Bunting (AAD) were the highlights of the morning. Some good vizmig over.

Been a busy few days ringing on site. Todays session, 06-14:00pm, 165 ringed including 23 Reed Bunting, 20 Goldcrest and 7 Firecrest. Big fall of CC. Good vizmig over with several flocks of Crossbill, Redpoll, Siskin and 2 Brambling west.

Super start to October with 164 birds ringed including 11 Reed Bunting, 8 Stonechats along with nice cast of warblers including late Gropper, Sedge, Whitethroat. 15 Firecrest, 12 Goldcrest and another strong passage of Chiffs. Bonus Nuthatch and Yellowhammer & Kestrel

Busy few days ringing on site Excellent numbers of Chiff/Blackcap/Goldcrests. 7 new Firecrest, 2 Control Blackcaps (BNF & BHH) Mipits, Stonechats, Robins, Blabis, Song Thrush and roving tit flocks. Highlights late Tree Pipit, GardenW, Sedge W, Grey Wagtail & Kingfishers

The last few days has seen a huge movement of Chiffchaff on site here in West Dorset, most birds seen moving East mid morning through to early afternoon. Today a much quieter session with 30+Chiff ringed takes me to over 200 ringed since last week

Todays ringing produced a decent haul of migrants ringed, again mostly Chiffs/ Blackcaps and a decent arrival of Goldcrest. Single Firecrest and a Willow Warbler best of the batch.