Iceland - 4th - 8th March 2022

Saturday, 25 February 2017

Another old bird!

Hello

Eric Graham and Ken Spriggs were out at Thrapston Gravel Pits today and they again located the Great White Egret plus seven Goosanders, an Egyptian Goose and a singing Cetti's Warbler.

The pair of Stonechat were in the valley below Hanging Houghton again this morning, keeping low in breezy conditions. Eleanor saw her regular pair of Raven at Staverton today and at Ravensthorpe Reservoir watched two Otters playing in the water, at least six drake Mandarin Ducks, two Kingfishers and a Great White Egret following a brief stop on the causeway at 1.30pm.

Jacob Spinks located a Mediterranean Gull at Pitsford Reservoir in the Moulton Grange Bay this afternoon.

Ringing at Sunderland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate today provided 69 captures of woodland birds made up of a single Blackbird, 25 Blue Tits, 17 Great Tits, 2 Coal Tits, 5 Marsh Tits, 3 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Treecreepers, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Wrens, 2 Dunnocks, 4 Robins, 2 Nuthatches and 2 Chaffinches.

One of the re-trap Blue Tits was a very old bird, being first ringed there on 27th November 2010 and re-trapped in the same wood on 21st November 2011 and 10th April 2013. When first captured in 2010 the bird was already an adult which means it was hatched in 2009 or earlier. On the assumption that this bird will survive to this summer, it will then be at least eight years old. The oldest known British Blue Tit is ten years and three months.

Two or three Woodcock were noted in Sunderland Wood and a Raven was at Kelmarsh village.

Regards

Neil M



Nuthatch.

Treecreeper.

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