Up Up and away!!

It's fascinating to muse about how, when and why some of our relatively common breeding birds migrate to their winter quarters. The BTO ringing scheme over the past 100+ years has been trying to add to our knowledge about this fascinating subject. One of the things which keeps us ringers going is when details of the birds we have ringed are found elsewhere. A couple of days ago two such recoveries were e-mailed to us and are reproduced below:-

1-Species:	Sedge Warbler (A. schoenobaenus)	Scheme:	GBT	Ring no:	S633234

Ringing details

Age: 3 ( juvenile)

Ringing date: 18-Jul-2018 time unknown

BEL Site name: Belvide, near Brewood, Staffordshire, UK

Ringer: Bache Shearwood & Mcshane, 8040

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Finding details

Age: 3 

Finding date: 24-Jul-2018 (0) 10:00:00

Site name: Tour aux Moutons, Donges, Loire-Atlantique, France

Capture by Ringer Intentionally Taken

Duration: 6 days Distance: 597 km Direction: 180deg (S)

 

2-Species:Sedge Warbler (A. schoenobaenus) Scheme:GBT      Ring no:S633961

Ringing details

Age: 3(Juvenile)

Ringing date: 29-Aug-2018 time unknown

Site name: Belvide, near Brewood, Staffordshire, UK

Ringer: Bache Shearwood & Mcshane, 8040

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Finding details

Age: 3 

Finding date: 12-Sep-2018 (0) 08:30:00

Site name: Tour aux Moutons, Donges, Loire-Atlantique, France

Subsequent Capture by Ringer Intentionally Taken

Duration: 14 days Distance: 597 km Direction: 180deg (S)

 

Both of these birds were re-captured at the same site in mid-west France. But for me the really interesting issue is bird 1. This is a very young bird and has embarked on a mammoth migration when only a few weeks out of the nest on 18th July. Only 6 days later it finds itself almost 600 km away. The second bird left a bit later-more in line with when we expect birds to migrate.