Iceland - 4th - 8th March 2022

Monday, 4 June 2018

Cetti's Warbler - loud and mobile!

Hello

Eric Graham enjoyed his wanderings at Thrapston Pits today, and the quality birding continued with views of a Great White Egret, a large Peregrine, two Hobbies, at least four Cuckoos on-site and still a vocal Nightingale.

Stortons Pits on the outskirts of Northampton has accumulated plenty of interesting ringing data associated with the Cetti's Warbler population. A few pairs breed successfully there in most years but what is clear is that Stortons very much sits on the Cetti's Warbler migration highway in the UK! 

Over the years birds initially ringed at this site have been re-captured elsewhere and a good number of Cetti's Warblers ringed elsewhere have turned up at Stortons from all points on the compass. By way of example we have been recently notified that ring Z668066 was affixed to an unaged Cetti's Warbler in the West Midlands area on 4th November 2015 and this bird was re-captured at Stortons on 20th May 2018 when assessed to be a female. Given the time of year it is likely she will be trying to breed locally, some 55km ESE of where initially ringed (928 days having passed since first ringed).

It could be that limited habitat availability in the UK means that Welsh and English birds are constantly wandering in an effort to locate suitable spots for wintering and/or breeding but avoiding leaving the UK landmass altogether...

Regards

Neil M

Cetti's Warbler.
Image courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Cuckoo.

Peregrine.

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