Another year comes to an end and it's time to take stock of the results that the GMA has obtained during the year 2006. Without a doubt, this year has been very positive and difficult to forget.

Amongst the activities carried out by our group during this year we can highlight the following:

-          XI ringing marathon ("XI Maratón de anillamiento"); undertaken in wintertime (December) in the "Rambla del Tuerto" for the second time.

-          Nest box inspection; in several areas of our province.

-          Ringing station PASER in Cañada Nava Zorrilla (Ciudad Real) for the sixth consecutive year in an area of Mediterranean woodland (Quercus rotundifolia, Junipherus thurifera and Quercus faginea).

-          Organisation and carrying out, together with the Albacete Ornithology Association (SAO), of the "Bird day" the first weekend in October. It was held both in the "Aula de la Naturaleza" (Nature classroom) in the Abelardo Sánchez park, in collaboration with the Albacete council and the work-team in the classroom, and in the installations of the "Centro de Educación Ambiental" (Environmental Education Centre) in the "Centro de Recuperación de Fauna Salvaje de Albacete" (Centre for Recuperation of Fauna in Albacete).

-          Participation in data recording for the TARSO study; created and organised by the "Centre for Bird Migration" (CMA).

-          Wader ringing; following the methodology of the old CALIDRIS scheme, also promoted by the CMA in collaboration with the EBD.

-          Participation in the summer ringing campaign in the Annsjöns ringing station located in the centre of Sweden. This is the first time that bird ringers from our group (4 ringers and 2 helpers) have travelled abroad specifically to go ringing.

-          We collaborated in the marking of an adult Bonelli´s Eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus) with a GPS radio transmitter for its subsequent monitoring.

-          Ringing sessions in Swallow (Hirundo rustica) or Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) roosts and in fountains/drinking troughs. These methods are very effective as they obtain a great deal of information using less effort compared to other ringing sessions.

-          We were also preparing three trainees for their ringing exams, and as you will see, it was worthwhile.

Within our group there has been an emphasised change. This year, three new ringers have joined our group; Raúl González, Ángel Camacho and Sergio O. Pinedo. Therefore, there are now 10 active ringers that make up the GMA. Since the year 2000, our group hadn't trained anyone in order to become a bird ringer. That indicates the important work undertaken recently by the GMA: teaching trainees: the basis for the sustainability of bird ringing.

The captures have increased slightly with respect to the last few years, totalling 3323, with a total of 103 sub-species belonging to 101 different species. Without doubt, the great effort employed in ringing species (more than 100 species and over 3000 captures) and the great variety of habitats visited have helped in achieving the high abundance of species. A total of 216 birds were recaptured (controls and recoveries; 213 and 3 respectively). Out of the 3323 individuals, 228 pulli of 13 species were ringed.

It is also important to emphasize the ringing (for the first time in our province, and by the GMA) of 4 birds belonging to 1 specie, the Meadow Pipit (Anthus campestris). Furthermore, for the first time in the history of the GMA, a Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), a Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and a Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) were ringed.

In addition to the aforementioned birds, other important captures obtained by our group in 2006 were: Jack Snipe, Little Owl, Scops Owl, Short-Toed Lark, Blue Rock Thrush, Black-eared Wheatear, Wheatear, Black Wheatear, Grasshopper Warbler, Olivaceous Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Iberian Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Southern Grey Shrike, Azure-Winged Magpie, Spanish Sparrow, Hawfinch, Brambling and Yellowhammer. These species are either not very abundant or their distribution in Albacete is not well known. The most caught specie once again was the Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) with 551 captures, followed by the Swallow (Hirundo rustica) with 521.

Three recoveries (two national controls and one international control) were obtained:

1.       Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). Found dead in a reed bed in the "Laguna de Pétrola" on the 13th September. Recovery without reply. Of Spanish origin.

2.       Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla). Found dead in a stubble field on the 16th October under high tension power lines near the Pozo Cañada Windfarm. The information was communicated to the GMA by an individual. Recovery without reply. Of Spanish origin.

3.       Unknown specie. The bird (without specifying the specie) was found dead near a swimming pool in the Albalote village (Granada), on the 20^th January. The information was communicated via the GMA´s web site. Of Belgian origin. Awaiting further information.

We caught 5 birds originally ringed abroad: 2 in Switzerland, 2 in France and 1 in England:        

1.       Sand Martin (Riparia riparia), recaptured on the 3rd September in the La Roda Sewage Plant. Ringed in England.

2.       Siskin (Carduelis spinus), caught by hand on the 25th February after a snowstorm in Albacete by an individual and later communicated to the GMA. Unfortunately, at the moment, this bird is in captivity. It had been ringed in SWITZERLAND.

3.       Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) recaptured on the 20th January in the Pozocañada Sewage Works, Albacete. It was ringed in the Du Marais de Lavours Nature Reserve (Pollieus), FRANCE, on the 12th October 2005. 100 days have passed since it was ringed, having travelled 784 Km as the crow flies.

4.       Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) recaptured on the 27th November in "laguna de Tinajeros", Valdeganga-Albacete. Albacete. Ringed in SWITZERLAND.

5.       Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) recaptured on the 29th December in "laguna de Tinajeros", Valdeganga-Albacete. Albacete. Ringed in FRANCE.

Summary of monthly ringing totals:

A, abundance; D, diversity; Controls, recaptures; F, flow (nº birds/ringing session); Tm, time spent ringing (in hours); Dn, density (nº birds/hour).

Numbers highlighted in red and blue reflect the maximum and minimum values, respectively, in each column.

List of the species ringed or recaptured by the ringing group G.M.A. during the year 2006.