More Twite Recoveries

You may recall the reports last spring of four of our Heysham ringed Twite from the Inner Hebrides including two from the island of Sanda off the Mull of Kintyre. This autumn we have caught two further birds that had been ringed on Sanda. At the BTO conference we met the ringer from Sanda, he was very pleased with our efforts, as these four were the first recoveries of ringed Twite from the island where there is a breeding population of ca 25 pairs. Our recoveries are also the first to show movement between Scotland and England

Warblers On Migration

We have had an interesting series of recoveries of three warbler species this autumn.  All except one were caught and released by other ringers. This year's batch of Sedge Warbler recoveries gives an interesting snap shot of their summer movements. Two were reported on the Sussex coast a distance of 432 km just 5 and 7 days after ringing in early and mid August, while another was in Belgium just 10 days after ringing. One bird though, got it completely wrong; it was ringed in Cheshire on 23 August and caught at Leighton 4 days later! Two were in the Brittany region of France 20 and 21 days after ringing.  Reed Warblers from previous years ringing were reported in Dumfries and near Keswick during the breeding season, either they were caught passing through Leighton on migration or they were Leighton bred birds colonising new areas. We also had birds on migration from Sussex and Portugal. Migrating Willow Warblers were reported from Dorset and Spain.

Pinkfeet on the Move

A fascinating series of sightings of three neck collared birds all ringed in either July 1996 or 1999 as adults while moulting in Iceland have just been received via Pete Crooks. One had been reported 52 times up to February 2003! All three show the movements between the main wintering grounds in Britain, One appeared to move straight from Iceland to Lancashire being at Martin Mere as early as late September in one year and early October the next. The winters were spent moving between Martin Mere and the Pilling area. Another apparently wintered for three years in Eastern Scotland then spent at least the late winter period of the third year in the Pilling Heaton Marsh area. The third was in Norfolk on December 28^th but was in Fife 5 days later before moving to Lincolnshire and then back to Fife. The next winter it was at Martin Mere in mid October and then spent most of December and January in North Norfolk. The next winter it called in at the Loch of Strathbeg in September, was in North Norfolk in late October before being sighted at Pilling in early January. The next winter it was in Perth in late September and spent at least the late winter in the Pilling area. These three birds show how much movement there can be within a winter especially intriguing are the quick movements between Eastern Scotland and England.

Other Recoveries and a New Longevity Record

Other recoveries received included a Starling from Lithuania and Sand Martins from Spain, two from Sussex and one from Dumfries. A new longevity record was a long-tailed tit just short of 8 years old when found dead at Heysham very close to the ringing site.

A Successful Year for the Group

The ringing totals for the year at 8734 birds were almost 1700 up on last year. It was in fact the largest number ringed since 1970. This partly reflects new projects such as an autumn meadow pipit study, winter roost studies and a new nest box scheme near Slaidburn.  But it was also a good year for several species suggesting good productivity. Most warbler species were up. Bearded Tits almost doubled to 60 ringed. Coal Tits were exceptional, increasing from 33 in 2003 to 177 this year, an abundance commented on by several members. Greenfinch increased by just over 300 to 575. They were especially abundant at Heysham in October when 248 were ringed with very few retraps suggesting a marked passage, it will be interesting to see what recoveries result.

It was fascinating to compare the numbers of certain species ringed in 1970. For example we ringed 39 yellowhammers in 1970 but not a one this year. Reed buntings declined from 210 to 70 and linnets from 280 to 4. All reflect the changes there has been in farmland bird populations during the last 30+ years. But we ringed no Siskin (51) or nuthatch (29) in 1970, the totals this year are shown in brackets

John Wilson