West Midlands Ringing Group

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West Midlands Ringing Group

National award winning bird ringing group covering West Midlands, Staffordshire, Shropshire & Worcestershire.

Pioneered the use of thermal imaging technology for surveying wildlife and have a special interest in farmland birds.

19/06/2026

Another day, another album cover. 📸🦅

This week we’ve colour-ringed another nest of Goshawks at a private site in Staffordshire, bringing our total to five nests for 2026.

These incredible birds really are the ghosts of the forest — powerful, elusive, and always a privilege to work with.

It’s also fantastic to see so many grey squirrels among the prey remains in the nests, highlighting the important role Goshawks play within our woodland ecosystems.

18/06/2026

Staffordshire Osprey project!

We’ve been privileged to colour-ring Staffordshire Osprey chicks for several years, following the discovery and ringing of the county’s first-ever breeding pair.

Over the course of the project, we’ve seen several birds return to the same area, but one bird in particular has given us an exciting surprise. Osprey 4R2, ringed as a chick in 2024, has now been sighted on a nest at a private site in Leicester, around 45 miles from where it hatched.

When you consider that this remarkable bird has also completed migrations to Africa and back, its journey is even more impressive!

It’s wonderful to see 4R2 thriving and contributing to the continued success of these magnificent birds. 💙🦅

17/06/2026

🌙✨ Nightjar season is officially underway, and we’re excited to be back out in the field!

With our expert nest-finding team and the help of thermal drone technology, even the most well-hidden nests have nowhere to hide. This incredible Nightjar nest, complete with two eggs, is a fantastic start to the season. 🥚🥚

Every nest we find helps us learn more about these remarkable birds, and we’re looking forward to discovering what this season has in store.

Even more exciting, 2026 marks the 16th year of our Staffordshire Nightjar Project! 😮🎉

A huge thank you to everyone involved over the years. Here’s to another season of discovery, conservation, and learning more about one of our most fascinating nocturnal birds. 🌲🌙🦉

16/06/2026

Another bird survey today, and sadly, another reminder of the impact human actions can have on wildlife.

Amongst important breeding bird habitat, we found more discarded balloons tangled in the environment, a celebration for some, but a potential hazard for the species that call these places home.

It makes you wonder: will we ever stop and think about the lasting consequences of releasing balloons? There are so many meaningful ways to celebrate a life, mark a milestone, or remember a loved one without leaving a trail of pollution behind.

What goes up doesn’t simply disappear. It comes back down somewhere, often in our rivers, fields, coastlines, and vital wildlife habitats.

Today was another sad day for the environment, but hopefully sharing these images and stories encourages more people to choose wildlife-friendly alternatives.

15/06/2026

🦉 What a year for Barn Owls! 🦉

A few days ago, we visited Overybury Estate in Worcestershire to check on our Barn Owl nest boxes, and we’re delighted to report some fantastic news.

We ringed 14 healthy Barn Owl chicks across 4 nest boxes, a wonderful result and a huge improvement on last year’s challenging season.

It’s incredibly encouraging to see these iconic birds doing so well, and a testament to the value of providing safe nesting sites and ongoing monitoring.

Now we have everything crossed that these youngsters successfully fledge and go on to thrive in the wild. 🤞

13/06/2026

This could easily be an album cover… 🤘🦅

Yesterday morning, we had the privilege of colour-ringing a nest of young Goshawk at a private site in Staffordshire.

Powerful, beautiful, and incredibly efficient predators, Goshawks are among our most impressive birds of prey. Seeing these magnificent raptors up close is always a reminder of just how special our native wildlife is.

We feel incredibly fortunate to be able to monitor this species and contribute to its conservation. We now look forward to future sightings and recoveries, which will help us learn even more about their movements, survival, and breeding success.

📸 One thing’s for sure, this brood definitely knows how to pose for the camera!

12/06/2026

🦅 He’s back!

A little while ago, we shared footage of a Kestrel visiting our Sand Martin Bank at Severn Trent, Minworth, a moment we would have completely missed without our ZEISS Birding trail cameras.

Well, our feathered visitor has returned for another hunting attempt! This time, he locked onto one of our plastic lures, striking at it instead of a real bird.

While it’s fascinating to witness this natural behaviour up close, it’s also reassuring to see that the lures are doing exactly what they were designed to do. If that diversion prevented even one young Sand Martin from becoming a meal, then they’ve done their job perfectly.

A great example of how technology and thoughtful conservation measures can work together to help protect vulnerable wildlife. 📹🐦

11/06/2026

Great teamwork between us, Hagley Falconry Centre and Birmingham Airport to rescue, recover and successfully return a young kestrel to its parents and siblings at the airport. 🦅

This fantastic outcome highlights the value of partnership working, quick action and a shared commitment to wildlife welfare.

The best part? This isn’t a one-off. Working together, we regularly help ensure that wildlife is rescued and returned where they can be, with every successful rescue making a real difference.

A great result for everyone involved, and especially for one very lucky young kestrel!

10/06/2026

WOW!
We absolutely love to hear about the movements of the birds we are privileged enough to ring, however seeing our colour ringed Ospreys moving around the country from our West Midlands site is extra special.
Fingers crossed for the future 💚

09/06/2026

Great news from our Severn Trent Minworth Sand Martin Bank! 🐦

We’ve already ringed 22 Sand Martin chicks this season, with plenty more nests still to check. Considering we ringed 38 chicks throughout the whole of 2025, we’re well on track to surpass last year’s record!

It’s incredibly rewarding to see all the hard work and partnership efforts paying off, helping to support these fantastic birds and monitor their breeding success.

We can’t wait to see what the rest of the season brings! 🌿✨

Address

Stafford

Website

http://www.westmidlandsringinggroup.co.uk/

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