On Sunday, 6th September, I attended one of the Birds of Poole Harbour Ringing Demos at Cary’s Secret Garden. It was a beautiful morning with sunshine and barely any wind to start, though it picked up a bit later. The event ran from 8am to 10am. We met near the gate, checked in against the booking list, and headed to the ringing station. While ringing can be controversial for some, I’m fine with it, especially as it’s conducted under a BTO licence. Ringers spend years training, starting with a T-permit (training permit), then progressing to a C-permit and eventually a trainer’s permit. Having rung birds on a T-permit myself, I understand the skill, dedication, and care they bring to the process. Without ringing, we wouldn’t have the valuable data the BTO and other organisations use to track migration patterns, lifespans, and more. The day began wonderfully with a juvenile Whitethroat, and the ringer explained moulting, fat reserves, and wing length for each bird. It was amazing to see the birds up close, from various warblers to garden favourites like Blue Tits and Great Tits. Warbler species included Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, male and female Blackcaps, Willow Warbler, and Chiffchaff, with examples shown to compare wing projection and colour. Overall, it was an enjoyable and educational morning, with the calls of a Kingfisher, a flyover Sparrowhawk, and a Buzzard. Sadly, the hoped for Grasshopper Warbler and Honey Buzzard didn’t appear, but perhaps another day, or next year.
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