Due to the size of the ringing group we have been looking for another site that will give us a range of species that complements what we capture at Oxwich during winter and passage periods. The idea would be that when we have a large team, a sub-group heads to this additional site, and that all of the trainees get more birds to handle (contributing to their experience) as a result.

It has taken a little while to find somewhere suitable, but we seem to have come up with a very nice site indeed. Situated on private land at High Pennard, above Pwll Du, the site lies on the edge of the ancient semi-natural woodland that runs along the Bishopston Valley, abuts extensive dense scrub on the coastal escarpment, but is tucked away from the prevailing wind on the leeward side of the headland.

A mid-week trial run produced sixty-five birds. The totals were as follows:

The trial run involved a single sixty foot net close to where some feed is regularly put down. The morning was affected by a few unforecasted showers that forced the temporary closure of the net, but the session otherwise went smoothly.

The highlights were:

• A marsh tit. There are good numbers of the species present, and it may prove possible to complete a study on them. We will probably need to take a view after 12 months.
• A house sparrow (female). The species is not typically seen on the site, albeit there are populations around nearby farms and large gardens.

It will be interesting to see the degree of interchange of birds between the site and Oxwich, which lies 7 km to the west.

Thanks to the mid-week team of Heather Coats, Richard Dann, Amy Schwartz, Lara Bates-Prior and Sophie de Grissac. Also thanks to Liz Newell for hosting the session.

Photos are below.

Owain Gabb
23/02/2019.

Marsh tit (Richard Dann)

Double checking some of the features of the bird (Liz Newell)