The pre-nuptial ringing campaign begun at the Jews' Gate at the Strait of Gibraltar Bird Observatory on the 15^th January and ended on the 10^th May.

A total of 1567 new birds and 191 retraps, brought the total of birds processed to 1786 birds of 51 species.  There were far fewer birds this year, in comparison to the same period in 2023 when 2580 birds of 45 species were processed, 1023 birds less, mainly composed of wintering birds. The start of this season was poor, reflecting the low numbers of wintering birds encountered during the post-nuptial campaign during October and November.  Trans-Saharan migrants began appearing in late February, with numbers increasing towards the end of March and April.  Days with westerly winds hampered the catching rate as winds affected the netting site, and days with easterly winds and heavy levanter cloud over the Rock, which ringers expected to provide fall conditions, were few and far between.  Nevertheless there were four days with over one-hundred birds processed, with the period of the 15^th until the 19^th of April producing 473 birds.  A late fall of migrants on the 8^th May saw 97 birds trapped, among which were nine European Nightjars and nine Red-necked Nightjars.

Among interesting species ringed were two African Chaffinches; a male and a female.  This species has now been designated full species status and known as Fringilla spodiogenys.  There have been nine records of this species including five ringing records of which a male was ringed this year on the 22^nd March, and a female on the 8^th April.  This is the first female African Chaffinch confidently identified using the criteria in several publications.  All the records have been between the 7th March and 13th April, when European Chaffinches migrate north from their winter quarters in Morocco, and the African Chaffinches latch onto these flocks.

Male African Chaffinch (C. Perez)

A Sedge Warbler was also ringed.  This species is rarely encountered at the ringing site, as the habitat which it frequents, (marshy habitat with reeds and bullrushes), is unsuitable.  Only 15 records of single birds have been observed, with 11 of them trapped and ringed at Jews' Gate.

Sedge Warbler (M. Cutts)

A special thanks to our resident ringers in charge during the early period, Mark Cutts, mid April Chrissi Twitchen and late April and May, Richard Geary.