Very excited to be working with scientists from the University of Iceland and Náttúrustofa Suðurlands (South Iceland Nature Research Office) to establish three bird ringing projects on Vigur Island in northwest Iceland. It marks my personal introduction to the skill of bird ringing - applying small non-intrusive metal or plastic rings to the legs of seabirds so that information about their behaviour, interactions and movements can be monitored. So far we have focused on Eider ducks and puffins, with Black Guillemots to be added in July.
Applying the rings is just the start, however. The real value is in observing and recording observations of the ringed birds in the seasons to come. While the eider project relies on recapture of the ringed birds, the puffin and black guillemot projects intend to use the power of citizen science. For example, asking anyone who visits the island and photographs a puffin with a yellow band on its leg to share the image with us so that the observation can be recorded.
We really look forward to finding out what the projects will reveal about the lives of these most iconic seabirds.