Annual totals are provided in the table below.

• A far better capture of common snipe than in
  previous years. This reflected ideal water levels near the South Pond during
  much of the autumn and winter period, and our ability to manipulate roosting
  locations through cutting of rides and pockets in the reed in this area. It was
  interesting that the increase in common snipe captured was not reflected in
  jack snipe.
• Increased numbers of locally-resident species
  including great spotted woodpecker (thirty-three individuals coming to a feeder appears a very high number) dunnock, robin, blackbird and blue tit. This suggests it
  was a good breeding season for many of these.
• Increased captures of wagtails during autumn
  passage. Previously we had set tape lures for pied/white wagtails at the end of
  a net ride erected to capture swallows coming in to roost. In 2017 we set nets
  (and tapes) for wagtails a few hundred metres from the swallow nets, with the
  possible result that the calls were more audible. We caught three yellow
  wagtails among the pied/white wagtails. We also (briefly) used a pipit triangle
  to target grey wagtails (with some success).
• Low catches of leaf warblers. This was
  particularly notable in common migrant breeders, with willow warbler and
  chiffchaff numbers well down on 2016 (- 51 % and – 30 % respectively). It was
  also a poor autumn for goldcrest (- 22 % compared with 2016 and – 50 % compared
  with 2015), we caught only two firecrest, and following the record total of
  sixteen yellow-browed warbler in 2016 we failed to capture the species in 2017.
• A further decline in greenfinch numbers. While
  it is not scientifically robust (for reasons noted above) to draw too many
  conclusions about population trends, we have put nets around the feeders on the
  marsh for the last few years. During this time the number of birds caught has
  decline by 70 % from 468 in 2015 to 134 this year. Trichomonosis is rife in the local population.
• A lack of goldfinches in the autumn and second
  winter period of the year. Following a good spring peak, with 119 birds
  captured in March, there was no July influx of juveniles (possibly indicating
  poor local productivity) or substantial capture during the autumn passage
  period. Conversely siskin numbers increased in 2017, albeit this was largely
  due to an exceptional day capture of 71 birds in late December.

• A reed warbler ringed as a juvenile at Meandro
  de Ranillas, Zaragoza, Spain on 19 August 2016 was recaptured at Oxwich on 29
  July 2017. Oxwich is approximately 1,130 km north north-west of its Spanish
  ringing site, and the bird may have returned through Zaragoza in the late
  summer of 2017 during its south bound migration.
• A blackcap ringed as a recently fledged juvenile
  on 31 July 2015 was controlled at Les Madrigueres, El Vendrell, Tarragona,
  Spain on 10 October 2017. The control site is 1,236 km to the south south-east
  of Oxwich, and it appears likely that the bird winters in the area.
• A late report was received of a chiffchaff
  ringed as a recently-fledged juvenile at Oxwich in early August 2015 and
  recaptured in early February 2016 at Utrera, Sevilla, Spain (over 1,600 km to
  the south and in its likely wintering area).

Finally
thanks to Kelvin Jones for organising the 2016 Welsh Ringing Course, to Martin
Hughes, Gwynedd Roberts, Tony Cross and Justin Walker for their support as
visiting trainers, and to Gower Ringing Group members for their assistance in
making everything tick.