Recent ringing recoveries

Hello

The latest batch of ringing recoveries associated with Northants Ringing Group activities includes quite a number of Reed Warblers from Linford Lakes at Milton Keynes as follows:-

1. A pair of Mute Swans with five cygnets on the River Nene at Ditchford Pits on 9th August 2021 were affixed with the large darvic rings which makes them comparatively easy to read. The female or Pen was marked 4CPQ and was ringed at Wellingborough on 21st March 2017 and was seen there in 2019 and 2020. The male or Cob was marked 4CYW and was ringed at Wellingborough on 14th March 2018 and seen again in February 2019. These are of a number of birds regularly caught and ringed at The Embankment next to the River Nene at Wellingborough and these birds have only strayed 4km down river;

2. An adult Black-headed Gull at Pitsford Reservoir on 6th and 14th August 2021 was bearing a yellow darvic ring with the black inscription of THCV. This bird was ringed in Poland as an adult on 11th June 2021 at a place called Swinoujscie, Zachodniopomorskie and seen there again on 26th June. It is a distance of 1023 km between the ringing site and Pitsford Reservoir and this bird is likely to winter in the UK;

3. A juvenile Dunnock was ringed at Astcote, South Northants on 25th July this year but was unfortunately taken by a cat a few miles away in Towcester on 9th August. This young bird didn't really have time to establish it's new territory before being predated by the local moggie - an all too familiar tale and one of the reasons why the Dunnock is now on the amber list as a declining species!

4. A juvenile Reed Warbler ringed as a first year bird at Baden Down Farm, Wiltshire on 27th August 2020 and caught again at Linford Lakes as an adult on 23rd July and on an earlier date this year will be attempting to breed. A similar story with another Reed Warbler caught as an adult at the Marston Vale Millenium Country Park in Bedfordshire on 16th April 2017 has been caught a couple of times at Linford Lakes, the last time being on 23rd July when assessed as a breeding male. This bird is at least five years old with numerous trips to and from Africa under it's belt!

5. A juvenile Reed Warbler ringed at Rutland Water on 27th August 2020 was caught again at Linford Lakes on 1st August this year some 339 days later and another impressive movement is of a first year Reed Warbler first ringed on 14th August 2017 at Terres d'Oiseaux, Braud-et-Saint-Louis, Gironde, France which was caught again at Linford Lakes on 23rd July this year. Gironde is 756km to the south of Linford with 1439 days elapsing between the two records, making this bird (probably also breeding at Linford) four years old;

6. An adult male Reed Warbler ringed at Linford Lakes on 1st May 2021 was caught again on 2nd August this year but this time at Icklesham, East Sussex. Icklesham handles large numbers of migratory passerines and is 166km south east of Linford Lakes so it's a fair assumption that this Reed Warbler had finished breeding and was on it's way south for the winter;

7. A Chiffchaff ringed at Linford Lakes on 9th September 2020 as a first year bird was found dead at Gibraltar Point Bird Observatory, Lincolnshire on 21st June this year when it was thought to have collided with a window. Gib Point is 136km to the north-east of Linford, 285 days elapsing between the two records.

Regards

Neil M

Wasp Spider photographed
recently at Ditchford Pits
courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Black-headed Gull at
Pitsford Reservoir.

Reed Warbler courtesy
of Lewis Aaron.

Banded Demoiselle courtesy
of Jim Dunkley.

Sparrowhawk courtesy
of John Tilly.