Wash Wader Ringing Group

Highlights for 2009

The following reports highlight some of the more interesting and unusual controls (birds ringed elsewhere and caught on The Wash) and recoveries (birds ringed on The Wash and found elsewhere... sometimes in unusual circumstances) during the year. It is only by piecing together all the reports that have been received over the years that a fuller picture of migration patterns can be established.

Kestrel

EL09604 1 05.07.08 Terrington      
  R 20.02.09 Wiles Farm, Dawsmere LINCOLNSHIRE   17 KM WNW

Whilst from only a relatively short distance away, this is featured in being the first Kestrel from the Group’s nest box to be recovered elsewhere.

Oystercatcher

FV70590 8 20.08.82 Wrangle      
  XL 06.04.09 Holkham Bay, NORFOLK   43 KM E
FA03864 5 20.08.82 Wrangle      
  R 04.01.03 Snettisham      
  XL 09.04.09 Blakeney Point, NORFOLK   55 KM E

Ringed together at Wrangle nearly 27 years earlier, the corpses of these two individuals were both found on the north Norfolk coast within days of each other.

FV24379 5 18.04.76 Wolferton      
  ? 01.12.08 Le Portel, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais, FRANCE 50 42’N 01 34’E 250 KM SSE

Another long-lived bird, found in France 32 years and 7 months after ringing, although it’s fate is unknown. The Wash, and national, longevity for Oystercatcher stands at 36 years and 8 months.

ED00741 6 13.08.67 Heacham      
=FV30582 R 25.05.78 Snettisham      
  X 01.04.79 Orland, Sor-Trondelag, NORWAY 63 42' N 09 39'E 1314 KM NNE

A not untypical Norwegian recovery, but it must be some kind of record in that it took over 30 years to be reported back to us!

NOS 5695214 1 06.05.84 Hagavagen, Sola, Rogaland, NORWAY 58 56'N 05 37'E    
  R 01.08.00 Friskney   735 KM SSW
NOS 5138085 1 24.06.04 Ulvilla, Verdal, Nord-Trondelag, NORWAY 63 48'N 11 48'E    
  R 08.03.08 Heacham   1379 KM SSW

The only two Oystercatcher controls reported back to us in 2009; both ringed as nestlings in Norway, from where many spend the winter on the Wash.

Knot

NOS 7469580 4 19.05.06 Igaldas, Porsanger, Finnmark, NORWAY 70 13’N 24 56’E    
  R 03.08.08 Wainfleet   2284 KM SW
NOS 7432233 4 19.05.06 Igaldas, Porsanger, Finnmark, NORWAY 70 13’N 24 56’E    
  R 16.11.08 Snettisham   2300 KM SW
NOS 7469597 4 19.05.06 Igaldas, Porsanger, Finnmark, NORWAY 70 13’N 24 56’E    
  R 28.02.09 Snettisham   2300 KM SW

These birds were caught together in mid-May in the far north of Norway, and are likely to be of the islandica race en route to their breeding grounds in northern Greenland or Arctic Canada; staging via northern Norway is the shortest route for this migration. Note that the first of these individuals had already arrived back on The Wash in early August; illustrating just how brief the breeding season is in the high arctic.

Sanderling

BT03005 4 03.08.07 Snettisham      
  R 12.05.08 arque Natural Bahia de Cadiz, Cadiz, SPAIN 36 29’N 06 15'W 1896 KM SSW
DKC 8223222 4M 05.07.07 Zackenburg, GREENLAND 74 28'N 20 34'W    
  R 30.08.08 Wainfleet   2565 KM SSE

It is known that Sanderling from both the Siberian and NE Greenland populations migrate through NW Europe, with many continuing south to wintering grounds in southern Europe and west Africa. The first example highlighted here is the 3rd Wash-ringed (and only 10th British-ringed) Sanderling to be reported in Spain, whilst the other is the first Sanderling ringed in Greenland to be found in Britain.

Dunlin

NR324696 4 21.08.90 Benington      
  R 24.07.09 Butterwick   Local  

Already an adult when caught in 1990, this Dunlin was recaptured 19 years and 11 months later, setting a new British longevity record for the species.

NOS 8L11154 3 24.07.08 Jomfruland, Kragero, Telemark, NORWAY 58 52'N 09 36'E    
  R 31.08.08 Terrington   888 KM SW
SVS 3334339 3 09.08.08 Utklippan, Blekinge, SWEDEN 55 57'N 15 42'E    
  R 31.08.08 Terrington   1054 KM WSW
NOS 8L04269 3 11.09.08 Makkevika, Giske, More og Romsdal, NORWAY 62 30'N 06 01'E    
  R 18.10.08 Terrington   1129 KM SSW

Three relatively quick movements involving juvenile birds, illustrating the migration dates through different Scandinavian staging sites.

NT87186 6 15.07.06 Terrington      
  R 09.11.08 Parque Natural Bahia de Cadiz, Cadiz, SPAIN 36 29'N 06 15'W 1885 KM SSW

The most distant Dunlin recovery of the year: the timing of its capture whilst on passage through The Wash suggest this bird was most likely from the schinzii population, wintering where it was recaptured.

Black-Tailed Godwit

EP70255 4 22.08.05 Holbeach      
  XF 09.03.09 Marshside RSPB Southport MERSEYSIDE   224 KM WNW

This individual, our third to Merseyside, was reported to have been killed by a Peregrine.

Curlew

SFH CT0377440 1 09.06.00 Tampere, Hame, FINLAND 61 45'N 23 54'E    
  R 01.09.07 Holbeach   1729 KM SW
SFH CT011202 1 03.07.88 Joensuu, Kuopio, FINLAND 62 37'N 29 53'E    
  R 05.08.08 Ken Hill Heacham   2042 KM WSW

The majority of overseas Curlew controls and recoveries involving birds using The Wash come from Finland. These two are of greater value in being pullus-ringed birds.

FP08953 4 12.08.02 Terrington      
  X 14.06.09 Ostra Spoland, Vannus, Vasterbotten, SWEDEN 63 56'N 19 52'E 1676 KM NE

This individual, on the other hand, is only our seventh to be reported from Sweden.

Greenshank

DD15102 3 04.08.07 Leverton      
  R 03.05.09 Castricum Duinen, Noord Holland, NETHERLANDS 52 33'N 04 37'E 305 KM E

The only movement involving the species reported during the year was this individual; only the second British-ringed Greenshank to be reported in the Netherlands.

Redshank

DB614922 4 31.08.04 Terrington      
  VV 10.07.09 Hofn i Hornafiroi, ICELAND 64 14’N 15 12'W 1551 KM NW

It has long been established that Icelandic Redshank winter in Britain, and this is the 31st Wash-ringed individual to be reported from Iceland – although it is the first such report we’ve had since 2004.

Lesser Black-Backed Gull

GC791441 1 22.06.08 Outer Bund      
  VV 07.01.09 Portimao, Faro, Algarve, PORTUGAL 37 10'N 08 31'W 1870 KM SSW

A typical southward movement for a juvenile Lesser Black-Backed Gull in its first winter.

GC16863 1 25.06.06 Outer Bund      
  VV 20.05.09 Tarastenjarvi, Tampere, Hame, FINLAND 61 33'N 23 59'E 1721 KM NE

Only the fourth British-ringed Lesser Black-Backed Gull, and the first from the Outer Bund colony, to be reported in Finland. Given the date that this bird was seen, it seems quite likely that this bird has relocated to Finnish breeding grounds.