2009 was a record year!

Each year ringers spend many early mornings catching birds to monitor their productivity and survival. Last year represented the centenary of the Ringing Scheme and, for the first time, more than 900,000 birds were ringed (935,867 to be exact!). The previous record was 881,920 in 2004. The high total in 2009 reflected a good breeding season, with large numbers of juvenile birds entering the population, but also an increased number of ringers (there are now over 2,500).



Notable were the higher ringing totals of seabirds reflecting a better breeding season following a run of years when breeding success has been poor. Preliminary reports from the 2010 breeding season suggest that many species have again had good productivity and numbers appear to be up, despite the severe winter weather at the beginning of the year.