NRG Species Totals

We were not able to ring Sunday 4th Jan 2026 - too cold and risky for the birds.

Recently I have been looking at historical data.

Below is a copy of a table created using all the ringing data stored electronically of NRG's activities. The data does not cover all the groups ringing, much of the data prior to the mid-1980s (pre electronic storage) is lost or no longer available. I've added all the hand written data etc I have access to back to 1973 some to 1968. Unfortunately, it is not a simple task to re-allocate historical ring series electronically for the BTO, so I had to pause adding written data prior to 1973 until they modify their system to cope with it.

        Newbury Ringing Group Totals on BTO Database 03/03/1968 to 31/12/2025 Including Sub Specs

Some data includes a 1980 ringing trip to Mingulay an island in the Outer Hebrides - hence Puffin, a Twite and some of the Wheatear (probably of the Greenland sub-species). The majority of the data is from the groups primary sites: Aldermaston GPs, Bagnor Cress Beds, Brimpton & Woolhampton GPs, Greenham & Crookham Common, Hambridge Lake, Thatcham Marsh, Snelsmore Common; other sites ringed some over many years usually by individuals included but this where most of the lost data is.

Notable Species on the  list include:

Bearded Tit: ringed between 1971 & 1975 mostly on Thatcham Marsh wintering in an area known as the triangle until it was destroyed to make way for the gravel extraction that created the angling lakes.

Black Redstart: two encounters, one Dec 1974 at on the rubbish dump north of Thatcham Marsh LNR, the other in 2013 at Kingsclere STW, Headley  re-trapped in North Yorkshire three weeks later.

Cetti’s Warbler: first ringed in 1971, a rare vagrant to the UK it attracted many twitchers. It and two others were encountered until 1975. From the mid-1980s numbers increased. In the early 1990’s it began breeding locally and is now regularly encounter in good numbers.

Siberian Chiffchaff: one ring at Greenham Common Oct 2021.

Common (Mealy) Redpoll: encountered mostly at the Greenham Feeder between 2011 to 2014.

Dipper: In 1980 a pair bred near Bagnor, one was ringed, unfortunately the other bird of the pair was killed by a car; the surviving bird fledge some young.

Firecrest: first ringed in 1970, then a scarce resident and next in 1986 and 2002. From 2008 encounters increased particularly at Greenham Common and a few are now ringed annually.

Great Reed Warbler: a fortunate encounter at Thatcham Marsh Reed Beds May 1970

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker: a very occasional encounter between 1977 and 2013.

Little Egret: first ringed at Bagnor in 2006 a few years before they bred locally.

Paddyfield Warbler: a fortunate encounter at Thatcham Marsh Sep 1997.

Pied Flycatcher: a fortunate encounter at Greenham Common Aug 2022.

Radde’s Warbler: a fortunate encounter at Greenham Common Oct 2019.

Ring Ouzel: one ringed Oct 1969 Thatcham Marsh.

Savi’s Warbler: a fortunate encounter at Hambridge Lake May 1968.

Tree Sparrow: once a regular encounter, last ringed in Feb 1980.

Turtle Dove: occasional encounters, last one ringed Jul 2009.

Waxwing: all ringed Apr 2011 at Didcot.

Whinchat: two ringed - one at Crookham Common Sep 2005, the other Sep 2007, Thatcham Marsh.

Willow Tit: a frequent encounter until the mid-1990, then numbers decreased rapidly; last ringed Jun 2011.

Wood Warbler: one encounter Jun 2007.

Wryneck: two encounters both in 2019, one in  Aug at Thatcham Marsh, the  other Sep Greenham Common

Yellow-browed Warbler: all at Greenham Common in Oct – 1 in 2013, 2 in 2016 and 1 in 2018.

Most other species ringed in low numbers are targeted or fortunate encounters or pulli ringed at the nest.

Rare species ringed by others in West Berkshire that I am aware of include:

    Smith & Wilson Partnership - Great Grey Shike and Aquatic Warbler.

    Nigel Cleere - Siberian Stonechat and Penduline Tit

    Berkshire Downs RG - Icterine Warbler.    

Happy New Year

Jan