After five years of training with Chew Valley Ringing Station, I qualified as a A permit bird ringer for the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) in 2010. I have had the opportunity to ring a huge variety of different birds from small, common, garden favourites to the larger peregrine falcons, seabirds and Canada geese.
Where I ring
I now have my own ringing site adjacent to the Severn Estuary, between the two Severn bridges. The small site is composed of hedgerows, reeds, sedges and pools - an ideal location for setting up very fine mist nets.
When I catch a bird I put a numbered ring on its leg and take various measurements such as wing length, weight and how much fat it has under its skin. The bird is then released.
The site in later summer/autumn provides a great place for ringing whitethroats, reed warblers and blackcaps as they pass through on their autumn journey south. Highlights include grasshopper warblers, a Cetti's warbler and a wryneck.
How to be a bird ringer
To become a bird ringer you need to be able to commit time and identify common birds. For more information about training visit the BTO's website, www.bto.org.
While many of these rings will never be seen again, the more birds that are ringed the greater likelihood that one will be recaptured in a net at a later date.
Reporting a ringed bird
If you find a ringed bird, dead or alive, please report all details of the ring's number plus the bird and its location to the BTO via www.ring.ac.
