The RAS is on

A new long term study measuring adult survival in a population of wheatears on Mynydd Preseli has just started. It is hoped to catch and colour-ring all the breeding adults in a defined area on the north slopes of Mynydd Preseli as part of the BTO's "Ringing Adults for Survival" scheme (RAS). Every year all the resighted individuals will be recorded to measure survival between breeding seasons, and any new recruits will also be colour-ringed to top up the sample. It hoped to catch all 60 adults in the study plot over the next month - so far five have been caught during the initial visit.

A smart adult male wheatear with newly fitted colour rings