Bird Ringing at Fordhall Farm

 

I've never seen bird ringing close up, so was thrilled to spot this event at Fordhall Farm, Market Drayton. The birds caught were a male blackcap, a dunnock and a chiffchaff. Each bird was examined to see the ring number, which was then recorded, and in the case of the chiffchaff, a ring applied to the leg. The wings were examined and measured and the bird was weighed. Because these birds are handled by experts, they suffer minimal stress and fly away merrily after they've been released. Bird ringing and recording is an important way for conservationists and ecologists to keep track of how each species is doing. It was also nice to see children there, and how excited they were at being so close to birds.