Not overly choughed!

I'm doing some Chough surveys for the RSPB in south Ceredigion at the moment. Not only does this give an opportunity to collect data on Chough usage of the coastal SSSIs but its also a great opportunity to check birds for colour-rings, well it is if you can find some!  I walked a big chunk of the coast from Cardigan to Ynys Lochtyn today and only found seven. Of these one wasn't seen well enough to check for rings and five were un-ringed. The breeding female at Mwnt was the only bird positively identified. Whilst wondering where all the youngsters could be I got a call from Adrienne Stratford to say that two of the Ceredigion chicks I ringed last year had just been sighted at Pont Lyfni between Carnarfon and Nefyn on the North Wales coast, both movements of 76 and 80 kms. Well that two accounted for! Hopefully tomorrow will bring better luck.

By way of a consolation,  I did manage to catch three Woodcock, a Meadow Pipit and the first Dipper of the year on the way home.