Thanks sophieraworth and BBC News (UK) for giving me the chance to talk about the travels of White-tailed Eagle G818 on the News at Six on BBC1 this evening. Some brilliant footage and photos from @twamers and nyrak62 too - thank you both.

A great find by Emmanuel Jatta Emmanuel Jatta. Presently working as an intern at Skokholm Bird Observatory in the UK, on loan from us. Another great find to add to his list of firsts.

The 27th big Icelandic-type Redwing to be ringed this spring, with Emmanuel Jatta 🇬🇲 scribing for Gwennan Butler. It is unusual to handle this many at this time of year, indeed spring totals since 2013 have varied between one and eight and have totalled 44 prior to this year.

We currently have the privilege of hosting Emmanuel Jatta 🇬🇲 from the brilliant Kartong Bird Observatory 🇬🇲 for a few weeks of training and exchanging ideas. Today was helping Ian Beggs with his Wheatear work, although the female Stonechat and Rock Pipits made up the non-heligoland catch

A proud day for all of us Kartong Bird Observatory 🇬🇲 as Emmanuel Emmanuel Jatta 🇬🇲 makes his first trip to the UK to work at Skokholm Island B.O. and with the Osprey Leadership Foundation . Emmanuel will be working with Ospreys and White-tailed Eagles during part of his 5 months in the UK. Thank you to all who helped

Opportunity Alert!

We have a PhD research opening in understanding zoonotic outbreak risk through social-ecological networks.
Full financial support provided.

To apply,📩[email protected] for the form.

Application deadline: March 22, 2024.

🔗Details: tinyurl.com/2dj4296x

The distinct profile of Cuckoo-finch, Anomalospiza imberbis. This individual caught and ringed Kartong Bird Observatory 🇬🇲 is the 13th record for The Gambia. 11 of the 12 previous records have been at Kartong. A species that is under recorded in The Gambia.

Our research on migratory connectivity and strategies of Grey Plovers is now published!
Amazing journeys! GP follow a 'skipping' strategy and we identified 66! different stopover sites along West African, European and Russian coasts.
#migration #tracking

nature.com/articles/s4159…

Pygmy Sunbird, Hedydipna platurus. Caught and ringed today, another new species for Kartong Bird Observatory 🇬🇲. Reasonably frequent upriver in the provinces, this species is very rare in coastal Gambia.

Little Green Woodpecker,  Campethera maculosa. An adult male caught and ringed this morning at Kartong Bird Observatory 🇬🇲. The 3rd record for The Gambia. The first record for Kartong Bird Observatory.

Blue Yellowbill, Ceuthmochares aereus, a species we never anticipated catching at a Kartong. A rare forest-dwelling species caught in coastal dune scrub this morning.

Vieillot's Barbet, Lybius vieilloti. Caught and ringed today.

Today, KBO made a donation of binoculars to the Gunjur Project Bird Club, which works with Osprey Leadership Foundation to develop young peoples interest in birds. These were provided by Caroline McClelland on behalf Newcastle RSPB members group.

This beautiful Lanner Falcon, Falco biarmicus abyssinicus, was caught and ringed this morning. Although a local breeding species, this is only the second individual caught at Kartong. This bird is a 2cy male.

Common Quail, Coturnix coturnix. Caught and ringed at KBO this morning. Scarce in The Gambia this is the first record of this species at Kartong Bird Observatory.

We were highly honoured this morning to receive an official visit from Harriet King British High Commissioner to The Gambia. This visit, supporting our ornithological research Kartong Bird Observatory 🇬🇲, was greatly appreciated by all our team.

Black-headed Lapwing, Vanellus tectus. A new species for Kartong Bird Observatory found and photographed tiday by Richard Brown.

At our main vulture research site:
18 Ruppell's Griffon, 2 European Griffon, 8 White-backed and 6 Hooded Vultures. A rare concentration in spring.
The migration of young men to Europe and a reduction in livestock husbandry has enormous implications for vultures in West Africa.

An outstanding mornings ringing produced the 5th Osprey, Pandion haliaetus, caught at KBO. This 2cy male was caught in a wader net.

After a lot of work and countless 5am starts, it’s AMAZING to have received my advanced copies of The Osprey prior to publication on 29th Feb. Thanks so much to Bloomsbury Wildlife for doing such a brilliant job. What an honour to have contributed to this iconic series.