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Saturday, 23 February 2013

Some Recent Recoveries from BTO HQ

This week I received some good news in the form of five ringing recovery/control sheets back from the BTO. Two were of birds that I had ringed, and three were of colour ringed birds that I had see whilst out birding. 

With regard to the two recoveries, the two birds in questions were both reed buntings that I ringed in my garden on 11th March 2012. The birds appeared to be a pair and were feeding on some millet that I had scattered around under the feeders. I was aware of one of these birds being recaptured, since it was trapped by Barry Duffin at Titchfield Haven, in the Quinoa field. However I was surprised to see that he had also caught the second bird, at the same site, one month later.


Species:
Reed Bunting         
Scheme:
GBT         
Ring no:
Y303175

Ringing details
Age: 5  Sex: male  Sex meth: -  P.ringed: -  P.alive: -  Condition: -
Colour marks added: -  Metal marks added: -  Act1: -  Act2: -

Ringing date: 11-Mar-2012  


Finding details
Ring not verified  Age: 4  Sex: M  Sex meth: -
Colour marks added: -    Metal marks added: -    Act1: T  Act2: -

Finding date: 30-Oct-2012  
Reg code: TFH  Place code: TFH  Site name: Titchfield Haven, Hill Head, Fareham, Hampshire
County code: GBHAM  Grid ref: SU5302   Co-ords: 50deg 49min N  1deg 15min W 
Hab1: B7  Hab2: C7

Biometrics: Wing: 82 mm.   Weight: 18.6 g.   Time: 1030hrs

Finding condition: 8:20  Movement: --
Controlled    Intentionally Taken
Remarks:

Duration: 233 days    Distance: 7 km    Direction: 203deg (SSW)

Species:

Reed Bunting         

Scheme:

GBT         

Ring no:

Y303176

Ringing details
Age: 4  Sex: female  Sex meth: -  P.ringed: -  P.alive: -  Condition: -
Colour marks added: -  Metal marks added: -  Act1: -  Act2: -

Ringing date: 11-Mar-2012  


Finding details
Ring not verified  Age: 4  Sex: F  Sex meth: -
Colour marks added: -    Metal marks added: -    Act1: W  Act2: -

Finding date: 30-Nov-2012  
Reg code: TFH  Place code: TFH  Site name: Titchfield Haven, Hill Head, Fareham, Hampshire
County code: GBHAM  Grid ref: SU5302   Co-ords: 50deg 49min N  1deg 15min W 
Hab1: E3  Hab2: --

Biometrics: Wing: 76 mm.   Weight: 18.8 g.   Time: 1330hrs

Finding condition: 8:20  Movement: --
Controlled    Intentionally Taken
Remarks:

Admittedly a movement of seven kilometres, was not that noteworthy, but nonetheless it was a 100% recovery rate for reed buntings ringed in my garden in 2012.

The next bird was a colour-ringed redshank that I saw at Bunny Meadows on 6th October 2012. I think I may have speculated at the time that this bird was probably ringed at Hamble Point, since that is a regular ringing location on The Solent, and sure enough, that was the case.


Species:
Redshank         
Scheme:
GBT         
Ring no:
DD51278

Ringing details
Age: 6  Sex: unknown  Sex meth: -  P.ringed: -  P.alive: -  Condition: -
Colour marks added: I  Metal marks added: -  Act1: -  Act2: -
Colour marks left below knee: W, right below knee: W,Y, left above knee: M, right above knee: W

Ringing date: 27-Mar-2011  
Reg code: HAM  Place code: HAM  Site name: Hamble Point, Southampton Water, Hampshire
County code: GBHAM  Grid ref: SU4805   Co-ords: 50deg 50min N  1deg 19min W 
Hab1: H3  Hab2: --

Biometrics: Wing: 177 mm.   Weight: 172 g.   Time: 1455hrs

Remarks:



Finding details
Ring not verified  Age: 4  Sex: -  Sex meth: -
Colour marks added: -    Metal marks added: -    Act1: -  Act2: -

Finding date: 06-Oct-2012  
Reg code: ---  Place code: BUNMED  Site name: Bunny Meadows, Warsash, Hampshire
County code: GBHAM  Grid ref: SU4808   Co-ords: 50deg 52min N  1deg 19min W 
Hab1: H3  Hab2: --

Biometrics: Wing: -- mm.   Weight: -- g.   Time: --hrs

Finding condition: 89:81  Movement: --
Sight record by a ringer    Identified by Colour Ring(s)
Remarks:

Duration: 559 days    Distance: 4 km    Direction: 0deg (N)

Again this bird doesn't break any records on the distance or longevity scale, having been ringed 599 days previously and only four kilometres away, but it highlights the value of colour ringing birds again. I will be looking out for this bird in the future.

Then next two birds were mute swans, both of which were seen at Weston Shore, near Southampton. The birds were both adult, and were part of a family party of five birds. Many mute swans are ringed on the south coast, with the majority ringed in Christchurch Harbour, Dorset by Dave Stone, during the annual swan round up. As it turned out, that is where these birds were ringed.


Species:
Mute Swan         
Scheme:
GBT         
Ring no:
W22151

Ringing details
Age: 1  Sex: unknown  Sex meth: -  P.ringed: 4  P.alive: 4  Condition: -
Colour marks added: I  Metal marks added: -  Act1: -  Act2: -
Colour marks left below knee: ON(J5A)

Ringing date: 01-Oct-2006  
Reg code: XCH  Place code: XCH  Site name: Christchurch, Dorset
County code: GBDOR  Grid ref: SZ1692   Co-ords: 50deg 44min N  1deg 46min W 
Hab1: H3  Hab2: G7

Biometrics: Wing: -- mm.   Weight: -- g.   Time: --hrs

Remarks:


Finding details
Ring not verified  Age: 4  Sex: -  Sex meth: -
Colour marks added: -    Metal marks added: -    Act1: -  Act2: -

Finding date: 09-Dec-2012  
Reg code: ---  Place code: WESTON  Site name: Weston Shore, Southampton, Hampshire
County code: GBHAM  Grid ref: SU4409   Co-ords: 50deg 53min N  1deg 22min W 
Hab1: H1  Hab2: --

Biometrics: Wing: -- mm.   Weight: -- g.   Time: --hrs

Finding condition: 89:81  Movement: --
Sight record by a ringer    Identified by Colour Ring(s)
Remarks:

Duration: 2262 days    Distance: 33 km    Direction: 60deg (ENE)

As you can see this bird was ringed as a chick (age code 1) six years and 69 days previously. Again this is by no means a record, in fact the maximum recorded age for mute swan is 27 years, 6 months and 27 days, so it has a long way to go before being a recovery of note.

Species:
Mute Swan         
Scheme:
GBT         
Ring no:
W26469

Ringing details
Age: 5  Sex: unknown  Sex meth: -  P.ringed: -  P.alive: -  Condition: -
Colour marks added: I  Metal marks added: -  Act1: -  Act2: -
Colour marks left below knee: ON(N7L)

Ringing date: 19-Sep-2009  
Reg code: XCH  Place code: XCH  Site name: Christchurch, Dorset
County code: GBDOR  Grid ref: SZ1692   Co-ords: 50deg 44min N  1deg 46min W 
Hab1: H3  Hab2: G7

Biometrics: Wing: -- mm.   Weight: -- g.   Time: --hrs

Remarks:



Finding details
Ring not verified  Age: 4  Sex: -  Sex meth: -
Colour marks added: -    Metal marks added: -    Act1: -  Act2: -

Finding date: 09-Dec-2012  
Reg code: ---  Place code: WESTON  Site name: Weston Shore, Southampton, Hampshire
County code: GBHAM  Grid ref: SU4409   Co-ords: 50deg 53min N  1deg 22min W 
Hab1: H1  Hab2: --

Biometrics: Wing: -- mm.   Weight: -- g.   Time: --hrs

Finding condition: 89:81  Movement: --
Sight record by a ringer    Identified by Colour Ring(s)
Remarks:

Duration: 1178 days    Distance: 33 km    Direction: 60deg (ENE)

W26469 was ringed as a second year bird (age code 5) three years and 81 days previously. When recording colour rings it is worth remembering to note the colour of the ring, the lettering, if present, the colour of the letters and the location of the ring on the swans leg, since there are so many colour combinations around at present.

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