Ringing Recoveries and the Dipper!

Hello

A collection of ringing recoveries have been amassed recently and kindly filtered out by the Northants Ringing Group Secretary Nick Wood...

1. A first year Chiffchaff was caught and ringed at Linford Lakes on 18th August 2019 and was then caught again by French ringers on 12th October 2019 at Chenal, Chenec-Saint Seurin-d'Uzet, Charente-Maritime. This young bird in the meantime had moved 741km in a southerly direction during a period of 55 days;

2. A drake Mallard was ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 11th November 2018 and was subsequently shot on or about 27th January this year near Thrapston, only 24km away and about 442 days later;

3. Another drake Mallard was ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 25th September 2019 and shot near West Haddon on or about 15th January this year, some 112 days later and 16 km to the west from Pitsford;

4. A Great Tit was ringed as a nestling in a nest box at Pitsford Reservoir on 25th May 2017 and was reportedly taken by a cat in the village of Brixworth on or about 22nd February 2020. This is only about five kilometres from it's natal site and it lasted just over a 1000 days;

5. A first year Blue Tit was ringed at Woodford Halse Nature Reserve on 25th October 2015 and found freshly dead there on 26th February 2020, some 1585 days later and a decent age for this generally short-lived species;

6. A first year male Blue Tit was ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 27th March 2019 and re-caught by ringers operating at Rosedan, Bagilt, Flintshire, North Wales on 14th February 2020. This bird had made it's way 186km in a north westerly direction, 324 days having elapsed between the two processes;

7. A first year Goldfinch was caught and ringed at Harrington Airfield on 20th October 2019 and caught and processed by French ringers operating at Bournonville, Pas-de-Calais on 3rd December 2019, only 44 days later with the bird moving 267km in a south easterly direction.

Barn Owls seem to be particularly noticeable at the moment and Eleanor saw two hunting the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton again this morning...

I'm fresh in from a seven week stint of wildlife watching in Cambodia, SE Asia - time for a rest before my next tours in south Poland looking for exciting mammals and birds of the forests!

Regards

Neil M 

Great images of the Black-bellied
Dipper at Sywell Country Park as
taken by Dave Jackson yesterday.