Ringing a Tawny Owl Pulli (Chick) on 11 May 2017

Posted on May 13, 2017July 12, 2021 by Mya-Rose Craig

Ringing a Tawny Owl Pulli (Chick) on 11 May 2017

I know that I am really lucky to live in a beautiful place near Chew Valley Lake, South of Bristol, surrounded by nature and wildlife and having parents that are so interested in birds and who have so much to teach me.

My Mum has a lot of passion but my Dad has trained himself in birds to a really high level. He has had a lot of commitment and patience to do that. He has also been putting a lot of time into his bird ringing skills. That means that even though I am a teenager and think I know best about most things when it comes to birds, I listen when my Dad speaks (or almost always).

A few days ago Dad and I went to check out an owl nest box and found some pull (chicks) inside, which we took photos of. At first, it was hard to make out what was inside, but then we realised it was a Tawny Owl pulli.

Last Thursday evening after school, we went back and I got to ring the pulley, my first owl ringed.
I was a little anxious about holding it because of its sharp talons, but it was quite sleepy and so not a problem to hold or ring. OMG, what an amazing experience! How lucky am I? I feel really blessed.

Young Birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig ringing a Tawny Owl Pulli
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

Young Birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig ringing a Tawny Owl Pulli
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

Interview for BBC Radio 4 “You and Yours”

Posted on May 6, 2017June 7, 2022 by Mya-Rose Craig

Interview for BBC Radio 4 “You and Yours”

Young Birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig in her garden
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

During the Easter holidays, I was contacted by a journalist, Jess Quayle, from the ‘You and Yours’ consumer programme from Radio 4. They were planning a feature about the number of people feeding birds in their gardens and how this had increased massively in recent years. They wanted me to answer a few questions on the topic and talk about how I feed my garden birds.

Young Birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig in her garden
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

Young Birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig in her garden
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

The only problem was that I was away skiing and then was going straight to Paris to spend a week with my grandmother in Disneyland.

Luckily, the programme wasn’t due to be aired for a couple of weeks, so after I was home, I got up at 7 am midweek to record the last bit of dawn chorus in our garden in the Chew Valley, south of Bristol. If I am ever up at 5 am for ringing or twitching, hearing the dawn chorus is a truly fantastic experience. I was too tired to actually talk then, so fitted the recording in at Chew Valley Lake after school. The only problem was that the Bristol Water gardeners were out cutting and strimming the grass, so I had to do my recordings in between the noise. I always learn a lot about being a presenter, every time I have to do anything like this so is a brilliant experience.

It was amazing to have my first interview for BBC Radio 4 aired last Friday 5th May 2017, which you can still hear on BBC IPlayer for the “You & Yours” programme in the section about the increase in people feeding the birds in their gardens. I am at 10:45 into the programme on http://bbc.in/2qeC28M with images at http://bbc.in/2qMuXts.

Young Birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig in her garden
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

Young Birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig in her garden
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

More ringing

Posted on October 25, 2015June 10, 2022 by Mya-Rose Craig

More ringing

These are some photographs from my recent ringing at Chew Valley Ringing Station. I love ringing and I’m grateful to everyone at the ringing station who helps and supports me. Mike Bailey is my trainer there and he is brilliant, dedicating his retirement to the ringing station.

Special thanks also to Pete Burston, for all his patience as a trainer.

Ringing a Goldcrest on 27 Sept 2015
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

East Harptree School Environmental Club at the ringing station on 8 Oct 2015
I have taken them out birding before but missed them because of school
photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Two scarce Lesser Redpoll at the Ringing Station on 8 Oct 15
New ringing birds for Chris Craig and Pete Burston
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Ringing a Great Tit on 8 Oct 2015 after East Harptree School had gone home
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Ringing with Pete Burston on 8 Oct 2015 after East Harptree School had gone home
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Ringing a Teal at Chew Valley Ringing Station 10 Oct 2015
Photograph taken by Chris Craig

Ringing a Teal at Chew Valley Ringing Station Oct 2012
Photograph taken by Chris Craig

Ringing a Teal on 10 Oct 2015
Photograph taken by Chris Craig

Ringing a Nuthatch on 11 Oct 2015
Photograph taken by Chris Craig

Ringing Redpoll sp ringed on 25 Oct 2015
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig