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
Notes: Three Siskin today a male and two females including
the bird ringed here on visit 11/01/2026 About five Siskins were in the vicinity of the
feeder (mostly high in the trees) - a hopeful sign that they may visit the feeder this winter in increasing numbers as they have n the recent past. Just one Great Tit continues the downward trend
of this species here; another bird escaped the net. A considerable improvement
on last winter matching visit surprisingly. 
