Filey & Flamborough Ringing & Migration Week
The Filey and Flamborough Ringing and Migration Week kicks off on 14 October, and this year it’s set to be bigger and better than ever. While our respective recording areas create a seamless zone of coverage along this famously bird-rich stretch of British coastline, 2017’s programme sees our two neighbouring observatories collaborating for the first time for a wonderfully varied programme that is free and open to everyone.
Building on the successes of last year’s Filey Ringing and Migration Week (which in turn built on FBOG’s long-running annual ringing weeks many years previously), this joint event – which runs for nine days – aims to provide a wealth of accessible, exciting and instructive activities that are all suitable for everyone, from beginner to expert, young to not-so-young, and novice to experienced.
Two of the observatories will be running daily ringing demonstrations, where experts are on hand to show the birds up close and explain their amazing journeys. Recent ringing weeks have involved catching everything from huge arrivals of Scandinavian thrushes and Goldcrests to Short-eared Owls and Sparrowhawks and Siberian gems such as Pallas’s, Yellow-browed and Dusky Warblers. Families and children are especially welcome, and it’s a rare occasion when a younger attendee isn’t entranced by seeing in the hand these awe-inspiring travellers. The Filey ringing station remains in its traditional spot in the Country Park (turn left after the café for 100 metres) and will be operating from dawn to dusk each day, while Flamborough’s team will be stationed at the dedicated ringing lab at the Living Seas Centre, South Landing, from 10 to midday each morning.
Guided migration walks will take place daily from several locations across both recording areas, including Bempton Cliffs RSPB. All are led by local experts who are more than happy to explain the mysteries behind the arrivals and departures as they happen. In addition, we’ll be hosting visible migration drop-in sessions for those who want a taster of this wonderful live spectacle along the Yorkshire coast.
There’s also a varied programme of evening talks, which kick off with RSPB’s Mark Thomas sharing his exclusive insights about Protecting the UK’s Rare Breeders (a collaboration with our friends at Scarborough Birders), and ends with the inaugural Martin Garner Inspirational Talk on the final Saturday night: Yoav Perlman on Israel – Where Migration is Defined. Yoav’s knowledge, passion and enthusiasm for migration are well known, and as a close friend of the mighty and much-missed Mr Garner; we couldn’t have found a more perfect speaker.
The full programme of events can be viewed online at www.fbog.co.uk/events-activities.
Remember, it’s all free, voluntarily run and open to everyone. See you there!
Note that all ringing demos and talks are weather dependent and final updates will be posted at 7 pm each evening on fbog.co.uk and fbo.org.uk - be sure to check before attending.
