What a week that was!  Our third year of taking part in the hugely popluar Filey and Flamborough migration festival was a resounding success.

Here's a short summary from our warden, Dave Aitken:

'Now well established, this was an incredibly successful event across all sites and a great deal of time, energy and enthusiasm went in by many individuals to deliver this excellent programme of events. Many people attended the ringing demos, guided walks and visual migration master classes and there has been some really positive feedback from visitors. The Bempton ringing team were able to carry out ringing on five of the nine days during the event, of which three were held as public ringing demonstrations. We were fortunate to be joined by Steve Westerberg, Site Manager for RSPB Geltsdale and his partner Tina – both experienced ringers, Harriet Day – a trainee ringer from Sheffield Ringing Group, our very own Andy Jayes from membership – trainee ringer with Flamborough Bird Observatory (FBO) and Jim Morgan – Ringer in Charge at FBO. During the five days of ringing 283 birds of 26 species were ringed (see table below).

 

Highlights from the week include Pallas’s Warbler – a scarce migrant which breeds across eastern Siberia and usually winters in southeast Asia; a Siberian Chiffchaff – an eastern race of Chiffchaff which is found in Siberian taiga forests; three Stonechat – thanks to Steve and his skills of catching Stonechat and Whinchat at his Geltsdale reserve; two Great Spotted Woodpecker – the 3rd and 4th to be ringed here; 24 Long-tailed Tits – we don’t get many of those here; Treecreeper – another uncommon Bempton species and the second to be ringed; two very late Willow Warblers and 44 Redwing – only 20 were caught in 2018. Other notables were the 45 Goldcrests, 29(!) Robins, 24 Blackbird and 22 Blackcap.'

Pallas's Warbler

Siberian Chiffchaff

Great spotted woodpecker