New Species 24/05/08

I can now add Kingfisher (finally) and Great Spotted Woodpecker to my Species Ringed list. I have held kingfishers in the hand before (before I decided to go for my license), I even had a chance to ring one once - but the ringer in charge didn't have any SO (small overlap) rings with him! We had to let it go - d'oh!


Saturday 24th May 2008 brought me some luck and I got to ring not 1 but 2 kingfishers (one adult & one juvenile - notably early fledging this year). Sadly, no photo though. One other juvenile kingfisher was caught & ringed (probably all the same family). The site in Gloucester is used as a fly through by Kingfishers and it is unknown whether they stop around to feed.

A brood of 5 Great Spotted Woodpeckers (plus 1 adult) from the nest box was also a highlight of the weekend!




Above & below: A juvenile in the hand. Photo's courtesy of my brother Stain (Green Mark!).