Rings around the world

Well... rings that have travelled from one part of Bedfordshire to another.

Reed Warbler, ringed at Willington last year, caught near Sandy this year

Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker, which won't have travelled anywhere

Turtle Dove nest - empty now, but did contain two chicks (they were eaten)

Pliers

The ringing book. 'DUNNO' is for Dunnock, not... 'dunno...'

Ruler and callipers

Fat reserves for ringers

The dove from above

Juvenile Turtle Dove

In a few weeks time, I hope this fellow will be heading south through Europe to spend winter in Africa. He's a young Turtle Dove and he was ringed yesterday (by me, as it happens) as part of a project to find out what's going wrong for Turtle Doves - their population dropped by 77% between 1970-2001!

We had a productive morning, catching about 120 birds in total - not all Turtle Doves, unfortunately, but lots of Greenfinches, Blue and Great Tits, a smattering of Whitethroats, Blackbirds, Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers, Goldfinches, House Sparrows and a Wren.

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D