Common House Martin
@commonhousemartin.bsky.social
Ornithologist, Birder & BTO C-Permit Ringer in the #AshdownForest, with the #CuckmereRingingGroup and #SussexBarnOwlGroup. Also one of the founding members of the #RanchoTangaré bird ringing station in Ecuador.
🇬🇧 British List: 210 🪶 Life List: 575.
🇬🇧 British List: 210 🪶 Life List: 575.
Winter thrushes are one of the main targets for the #AshdownForest ringing site at this time of year, while plenty around only a handful of Redwings and Fieldfares caught so far among the Goldcrests and Redpolls!
November 15, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Winter thrushes are one of the main targets for the #AshdownForest ringing site at this time of year, while plenty around only a handful of Redwings and Fieldfares caught so far among the Goldcrests and Redpolls!
New pair of #Altberg boots! Just in time for getting back out to the #AshdownForest site at the weekend! No doubt these will be on my feet for many years to come 😁
November 6, 2025 at 6:51 PM
New pair of #Altberg boots! Just in time for getting back out to the #AshdownForest site at the weekend! No doubt these will be on my feet for many years to come 😁
With the 2025 ringing expedition at #RanchoTangaréNatureReserve having come to a close, the results include: 474 new birds ringed of 100 species, of which 29 have not been ringed before! A phenomenal result and a big thank you to the team as well as my boots which sadly will not return. 🫡
October 31, 2025 at 7:40 PM
With the 2025 ringing expedition at #RanchoTangaréNatureReserve having come to a close, the results include: 474 new birds ringed of 100 species, of which 29 have not been ringed before! A phenomenal result and a big thank you to the team as well as my boots which sadly will not return. 🫡
Some more exciting birds caught and ringed at #RanchoTangaréNatureReserve. Great Antshrikes both male and female, as well as Golden-olive and Guayaquil Woodpeckers.
October 27, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Some more exciting birds caught and ringed at #RanchoTangaréNatureReserve. Great Antshrikes both male and female, as well as Golden-olive and Guayaquil Woodpeckers.
Result! A target species, Choco Toucan trapped and ringed, that's a bit of pressure off our backs! 😅 #RanchoTangaréNatureReserve
October 24, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Result! A target species, Choco Toucan trapped and ringed, that's a bit of pressure off our backs! 😅 #RanchoTangaréNatureReserve
Bit of a slow day today at #RanchoTangaréNatureReserve, but quality over quantity with this excellent Little Cuckoo! Now set up at area two for the next few days 😁
October 21, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Bit of a slow day today at #RanchoTangaréNatureReserve, but quality over quantity with this excellent Little Cuckoo! Now set up at area two for the next few days 😁
Brilliant first day at #RanchoTangaréNatureReserve, 27 species including three Collared Araçari! Great to ring this species, that I missed out on last year and to add more to the database!
October 19, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Brilliant first day at #RanchoTangaréNatureReserve, 27 species including three Collared Araçari! Great to ring this species, that I missed out on last year and to add more to the database!
First tarantula of the trip, seen whilst setting up mist nets at #RanchoTangaréNatureReserve in western Ecuador. Anyone knows the species? 🕷️ #tarantula
October 19, 2025 at 2:07 AM
First tarantula of the trip, seen whilst setting up mist nets at #RanchoTangaréNatureReserve in western Ecuador. Anyone knows the species? 🕷️ #tarantula
Packed and ready for the third ringing expedition to
#RanchoTangaréNatureReserve in Ecuador for the next two weeks! Excited to see the changes and potential new species since reforestation started!
#RanchoTangaréNatureReserve in Ecuador for the next two weeks! Excited to see the changes and potential new species since reforestation started!
October 16, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Packed and ready for the third ringing expedition to
#RanchoTangaréNatureReserve in Ecuador for the next two weeks! Excited to see the changes and potential new species since reforestation started!
#RanchoTangaréNatureReserve in Ecuador for the next two weeks! Excited to see the changes and potential new species since reforestation started!
Another decent morning at the #AshdownForest on Tuesday. 36 birds ringed as well as three re-traps, one of which was one of the first Dunnocks ringed at the site in 2023, still knocking about! Otherwise the highlights were the first Redwings of the winter season and another Dartford Warbler!
October 16, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Another decent morning at the #AshdownForest on Tuesday. 36 birds ringed as well as three re-traps, one of which was one of the first Dunnocks ringed at the site in 2023, still knocking about! Otherwise the highlights were the first Redwings of the winter season and another Dartford Warbler!
Results from the control Goldcrest PAN055: ringed in Seggieden, Perth & Kinross, Scotland as a juvenile, re-trapped 632km south at the #AshdownForest! Pretty good movement for a 5 grams bird!
October 7, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Results from the control Goldcrest PAN055: ringed in Seggieden, Perth & Kinross, Scotland as a juvenile, re-trapped 632km south at the #AshdownForest! Pretty good movement for a 5 grams bird!
Clearly Autumn migration has come to an end on the #AshdownForest site with possibly the final Chiffchaff amoung the Goldcrests and Redpolls this morning. 🍁
October 6, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Clearly Autumn migration has come to an end on the #AshdownForest site with possibly the final Chiffchaff amoung the Goldcrests and Redpolls this morning. 🍁
Another busy morning at the #AshdownForest site yesterday with over 47 Goldcrests caught and ringed out of the total of 70 birds, plus another Dartford Warbler which is always nice. Also had a control Goldcrest so it will be interesting to see where it came from! 🤔
October 2, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Another busy morning at the #AshdownForest site yesterday with over 47 Goldcrests caught and ringed out of the total of 70 birds, plus another Dartford Warbler which is always nice. Also had a control Goldcrest so it will be interesting to see where it came from! 🤔
A busy morning out on the coast with the Hope Gap Ringing team, with 91 new birds including this awesome male Kestrel! Great to get a new bop species in the nets 🦅
September 27, 2025 at 7:15 PM
A busy morning out on the coast with the Hope Gap Ringing team, with 91 new birds including this awesome male Kestrel! Great to get a new bop species in the nets 🦅
Another great ringing session at the #AshdownForest site this morning with 47 birds caught including this lovely Siskin and the first winter Redpolls! Alas the passing House Martins didn't play ball 😕
September 26, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Another great ringing session at the #AshdownForest site this morning with 47 birds caught including this lovely Siskin and the first winter Redpolls! Alas the passing House Martins didn't play ball 😕
Had a another excellent wader ringing session with the Swale Wader Group last weekend, with Black and Barwits, Curlews, Redshanks and a Knot, building those endorsement numbers! ☺️
September 26, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Had a another excellent wader ringing session with the Swale Wader Group last weekend, with Black and Barwits, Curlews, Redshanks and a Knot, building those endorsement numbers! ☺️
Mega day at the #AshdownForest site with 80 birds ringed! Including the first Bullfinch ✅ for the site! Numbers were up thanks to 40 House Martins who decided to play ball and go for the sound lure! Plus a lovely Firecrest amongst the Goldies 😁
September 9, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Mega day at the #AshdownForest site with 80 birds ringed! Including the first Bullfinch ✅ for the site! Numbers were up thanks to 40 House Martins who decided to play ball and go for the sound lure! Plus a lovely Firecrest amongst the Goldies 😁
Another slow morning despite the break in the rain this week at the #AshdownForest site today. 20 birds with a Redstart (likey one of the last this year) and a Tree Pipit being the highlights.
September 5, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Another slow morning despite the break in the rain this week at the #AshdownForest site today. 20 birds with a Redstart (likey one of the last this year) and a Tree Pipit being the highlights.
Caught a break in the weather this morning and managed another 20 birds at the #AshdownForest site. Including Grasshopper Warblers, a Dartford Warbler, Redstarts and even managed a few House Martins before the flock was spooked by a sparrowhawk!
August 28, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Caught a break in the weather this morning and managed another 20 birds at the #AshdownForest site. Including Grasshopper Warblers, a Dartford Warbler, Redstarts and even managed a few House Martins before the flock was spooked by a sparrowhawk!
First wader ringing session of the Autumn with the Swale Wader Group last night/this morning! Absolutely fantastic time with 60 odd waders caught and 7 ringing ticks ✅, it was awesome! Dunlin, Whimbrel, Curlew, Grey Plover, Redshank plus Bar/Black-tailed Godwits. Lots learnt and ready for round 2 😁
August 23, 2025 at 10:07 AM
First wader ringing session of the Autumn with the Swale Wader Group last night/this morning! Absolutely fantastic time with 60 odd waders caught and 7 ringing ticks ✅, it was awesome! Dunlin, Whimbrel, Curlew, Grey Plover, Redshank plus Bar/Black-tailed Godwits. Lots learnt and ready for round 2 😁
Another busy morning today at the #AshdownForest site with 45 birds ringed. The highlights included a Grasshopper Warbler and a Firecrest! Plenty of Chiffs and Willow Warblers about as well as ample juvenile tits.
August 18, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Another busy morning today at the #AshdownForest site with 45 birds ringed. The highlights included a Grasshopper Warbler and a Firecrest! Plenty of Chiffs and Willow Warblers about as well as ample juvenile tits.
The last Nightjar attempt on Thursday at the #AshdownForest site ended with no catches, but at least we are on par for last year's total. Birds already moving to the coast!
August 16, 2025 at 7:30 PM
The last Nightjar attempt on Thursday at the #AshdownForest site ended with no catches, but at least we are on par for last year's total. Birds already moving to the coast!
Reposted by Common House Martin
We require a knowledgeable birdwatcher to lead the team that produces the highly respected annual Sussex Bird Report, described by @birdguides.bsky.social as ‘a gold standard of county bird reports’.
Please share with your networks.
Full brief in link here;
tinyurl.com/y9nz7acd
Please share with your networks.
Full brief in link here;
tinyurl.com/y9nz7acd
August 14, 2025 at 3:23 PM
We require a knowledgeable birdwatcher to lead the team that produces the highly respected annual Sussex Bird Report, described by @birdguides.bsky.social as ‘a gold standard of county bird reports’.
Please share with your networks.
Full brief in link here;
tinyurl.com/y9nz7acd
Please share with your networks.
Full brief in link here;
tinyurl.com/y9nz7acd
Another 8 Redstarts today, smashing the site record with over 40 ringed this year. Plus quite a few Whitethroats this morning at the #AshdownForest site, along with a Sedge Warbler that was clearly passing through!
August 12, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Another 8 Redstarts today, smashing the site record with over 40 ringed this year. Plus quite a few Whitethroats this morning at the #AshdownForest site, along with a Sedge Warbler that was clearly passing through!
Another slow but steady morning at the #AshdownForest site today with 31 birds caught and ringed. Redstarts galore with 8 caught including one of the pullus ringed from one of my nest boxes 😀 bit bigger now! Then this evening I joined my trainer in Seaford for Herring Gulls!
August 8, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Another slow but steady morning at the #AshdownForest site today with 31 birds caught and ringed. Redstarts galore with 8 caught including one of the pullus ringed from one of my nest boxes 😀 bit bigger now! Then this evening I joined my trainer in Seaford for Herring Gulls!