Ringing recoveries

Hello

Some recent ringing recoveries have come through from the BTO Ringing Unit and kindly disseminated by our local ringing secretary Nick Wood...

W24716 is a ring fixed on the leg of an adult Mute Swan on 5th April 2008 in Leicestershire. The ring was photographed by Cathy Ryden at Guilsborough Fish Ponds on 15th March 2017 where this bird is the male on territory. Cathy successfully photographed the ring on this bird at the same venue in 2015 so these small ponds are clearly his own back yard. This bird is at least eleven years old.

A male Fieldfare was caught and ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 30th December 2011 (LC22169) and was sadly killed by hunters on or about 15th January 2017 at Trainou, Loiret, France. Although the simple distance between the two sites is 530km clearly this nomadic bird had travelled many thousands of km during its life.

On 28th July 2016 a young Blackbird was ringed by a Swedish ringer at Vanbo, Smedjebacken, Dalarnas Lan near Kopparberg. This bird turned up in a mist net at Milton Keynes Community Orchard on 20th February this year where it's gender was confirmed as a female. In 207 days this young migrant travelled a minimum of 1347km and probably wintered in Milton Keynes.

Yellowhammers are generally considered sedentary so when John Woollett caught and ringed a female at Astcote on 8th January 2015 and this bird was found dead in the village (believed to be a road casualty) on 17th March this year it wasn't particularly surprising. It is a shame that with small birds many of our recoveries are only recorded when they become a casualty.

Regards

Neil M

Mute Swan.

Fieldfare.

Blackbird.
Courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

Yellowhammer courtesy
of Robin Gossage.