Wales, Sunday 11 June

The annual trip to Wales to ring the Pied Flycatcher chicks was made by Duncan, Kev, Mick and me a couple of weeks ago. Following reports that the previous week's terrible wet and windy weather had caused havoc in many nestboxes across the west of the UK, we were unsure what we might find.

There were a few nests with dead, well-grown chicks, showing that it must have been difficult to find food in the inclement conditions, but despite this, we still managed a decent session, with 108 chicks ringed, the majority in the 'bottom' boxes at the base of the hill. Toilet wood was very poor and the other areas fared slightly better. Five adults were ringed and a control was also captured.

We also ringed a single brood of 5 Redstarts and an adult Wood Warbler. Several Red Kites were noted on the journey.

Tom