Oystercatcher
| FA46632 | 8 | 25.06.94 | Heacham | |||
| +F | 03.07.02 | Tromso Airport, Troms, NORWAY | 69 42'N 18 15'E | 2097 KM | NNE |
Our most northerly Oystercatcher recovery so far this year. Unfortunately this bird chose to take up residence at Tromso Airport, and had to be destroyed for public safety reasons.
| ED00745 | 3 | 13.08.67 | Snettisham | |||
| R | 01.08.00 | Friskney | ||||
| R | 07.09.02 | Wainfleet | 27 KM |
This bird extends the UK national longevity record for Oystercatcher (and indeed any wader) to 35 years. The previous record was held by a nestling ringed in 1962 and found in March 1996, and this record had been unchallenged since then… this bird fell 9 months short of the record when it was caught at Friskney in 2000! However significant numbers of Oystercatchers were not caught by the Group until the advent of rocket-netting in 1967, so there are now, potentially, a few more veterans from these early days waiting to take over the longevity crown!
Grey Plover
| DR69826 | 4 | 09.09.83 | Friskney | |||
| XF | 27.05.02 | Vehkalahti, Ulko-Tammio, Kymi, FINLAND | 60 21'N 27 28'E | 1842 KM | ENE |
Grey Plover occurring on The Wash breed in Arctic Russia, with many thought to migrate through the Baltic, albeit with few if any stopovers; this species is known to take long unbroken migratory flights. Even so, it is perhaps surprising that this is the first British-ringed Grey Plover to ever be found in any of the countries bordering the northern Baltic. This experienced bird; ringed as an adult nearly 19 years earlier, will have been on spring passage. The UK national longevity record for Grey Plover, set by a Wash-ringed bird way back in 1991, remains at 21 years 2 months.
Knot
| CE48857 | 4 | 06.10.79 | Thornham | |||
| XF | 28.09.02 | Snettisham | 15 KM |
Found nearly 23 years after being ringed, this bird falls justa year short of the national longevity record of 24 years; also involving a Wash-ringed bird.
Dunlin
| NR51227 | 6 | 23.07.90 | Terrington | |||
| XF | ??.??.9? | Exact location unknown, The Wash | ?? KM |
This bird was, bizarrely, found in a freezer donated to the British Museum by the finder!
| NR89142 | 4 | 11.08.94 | Butterwick | |||
| X | 10.06.01 | Vagnbrekka, Myvatn, Sudur-Thingejar ICELAND | 65 37'N 17 02'W | 1701 KM | NW |
Only the sixth Wash-ringed Dunlin to be found in Iceland. Found dead under wires on its breeding grounds, this bird will have been of the schinzii race, and was originally caught whilst staging on the Wash during its southwards passage to winter in Africa.
| NT35172 | 5 M | 22.07.01 | Terrington | |||
| R | 22.08.01 | Parque Nacional Marismas del Odiel, Huelva, SPAIN | 37 15 ’N 06 56’W | 1817 KM | SSW |
Controlled only one month after being ringed on the Wash, this bird is likely to still have been on southwards passage towards west African wintering grounds.
| NT23181 | 3 | 01.09.00 | Terrington | |||
| R | 11.05.02 | Salina Ntr. Sda. del Pilar, Cadiz, SPAIN | 36 32 ’N 06 11’W | 1877 KM | SSW |
Another Spanish recovery, this bird will have been returning northwards and was caught relatively late in the spring season.
| NS93372 | 3 | 28.08.88 | Terrington | |||
| XL | 15.01.02 | Estarreja, Aveiro, Beira Litoral, PORTUGAL | 40 45’N 08 35 ’W | 1496 KM | SSW |
Found 13 years 4 months after ringing. The national longevity record is 18 years 8 months.
| NT35058 | 4 | 22.07.01 | Terrington | |||
| R | 25.04.02 | Bardsea Shore, Ulverstone, CUMBRIA | 269 KM | NW | ||
| NT35074 | 4 | 22.07.01 | Terrington | |||
| XF | 20.05.02 | near Carr House Farm, Pilling, LANCASHIRE | 250 KM | WNW |
Two Dunlin, ringed at the same catch at Terrington, subsequently using western UK estuaries during the following spring migration. This pattern of behaviour has been well documented in the past. The second of these, however, was found in a Little Owl nest box, along with 5 other Dunlin!
Black-Tailed Godwit
| ES28140 | 4 | 18.09.93 | Hplbeach | |||
| RR | 04.07.01 | Seljatunga, Floi, Arens, ICELAND | 63 51'N 20 53'W | 1719 KM | NW | |
| ES28101 4 | 4 | 18.09.93 | Holbeach | |||
| XF | 22.05.02 | Dalvik, ICELAND | 65 58'N 18 28'W | 1785 KM | NW |
Sightings of Black-tailed Godwit colour-marked on the Wash continue to be made. These two, the first being a field record, are further records from the Icelandic breeding grounds, where, it is thought, the majority of Black-tailed Godwit using the Wash originate.
| EF90838 | 3 | 24.10.77 | Butley Suffolk | |||
| R | 18.09.93 | Holbeach | 127 KM | NW | ||
| =ES28109 | R | 30.08.96 | Holbeach | |||
| VV | 29.03.99 | Nene Washes Cambridgeshire | ||||
| VV | 26.04.00 | Pollengi, near Tungvefell, ICELAND | 64 15'N 20 18'W | 1848 KM | NW | |
| VV | 14.02.01 | Fen Drayton Cambridgeshire | ||||
| VV | 12.04.01 | Fen Drayton Cambridgeshire |
This bird became the oldest known British-ringed Black-Tailed Godwit when it was caught at Holbeach in 1993. With added colour rings it has become an easier target for further sightings, and, having returned to Cambridgeshire in 2001, has now extended the longevity record to 23 years 5 months.
Turnstone
| SX36873 | 6 | 26.02.00 | Port Sutton Bridge | |||
| VV | 16.05.01 | Start Point, Sanday ORKNEY | 735 KM | NNW | ||
| SX36823 | 6 | 26.02.00 | Port Sutton Bridge | |||
| RR | 21.07.01 | Flatey, Breidafjordur, Austur-Bardastrandar ICELAND | 1912 KM | NW |
Both these Turnstone were colour-ringed as part of a feeding study carried out in 2000, and were subsequently seen away from the Wash. The first will have been on spring migration towards either Scandinavian or, more likely, Greenland/Canadian breeding grounds, and is the first Wash-ringed Turnstone to be found on Orkney. The second will have been returning from Greenland/Canada and is the group's 7th Turnstone recovery to Iceland.
| SX36361 | 4 | 11.08.94 | Butterwick | |||
| R | 14.01.02 | Ile Aux Oiseaux, SENEGAL | 13 39'N 16 40'W | 4617 KM | SSW |
It is known that Turnstone from the Scandinavian/Russian population continue southwards as far as west Africa for the winter. Despite us having had two previous Turnstone recoveries from neighbouring Gambia, this is the first ever British-ringed Turnstone to be found in Senegal.
Redshank
| ISR 744877 | 1 | 30.06.00 | Thorbrandsstadir, Vopnafjordur, Nordur-Mula, ICELAND | 65 38'N 15 03'W | ||
| R | 21.09.01 | Terrington | 1666 KM | SSE |
Just one year after having caught the Group's first example of an Icelandic-ringed Redshank chick, comes this; the second such example.