Embedded Files
Ringing is a common practice in the bird world, used for trying to better understand the movements and lives of birds. A metal ring with an alphanumerical code it attatched to one leg, sometimes coloured plastic rings are attached too to make it easier to read in the field.
Rings I've "recovered"
Rings I've "recovered"
Recovering a ring is more usually done by re-capturing the bird or finding the ring and/or remains of the bird after it has died. Thankfully, due to the resolution on cameras and the reach of telephoto lenses, Ive been able to get good enough detail on some subjects that I could read enough characters on the ring for the bird to be identified. With a few characters of the code and the species, contacting the relevant ringing authority will often mean they match the records and can provide you with the details of when and where the bird was rung. Below is a list, as well as photos of, the birds I have managed to find out the backgrounds of.
Lesser spotted woodpecker
Lesser spotted woodpecker
Ring: Metal ring, code TX40366
Born: 2017, Male
Ringed: 23 / Mar / 18
Southampton Common, Southampton, UK
Found: 19 / Apr / 23 (6 years old)
Acre's Down, Hampshire, UK
Notes: This bird was found very far from where it was rung as lesser spotted woodpeckers don't usually move far from where they were born. It is also a bird doing well as the oldest recorded bird (through ringing) was only 3 months older than this one.
Osprey
Osprey
Ring: Colour ring, yellow, code JX
Born: 2017, Unknown
Ringed: 19 / Aug / 17
In nest, Albufera de Mallorca, Spain
Found: 23 / Jun / 23 (6 years old)
Mallorca, Spain
Notes: This osprey flew right over the villa we were staying in, carrying a fish quite far (at least 3km) from where it caught it. It must have been delivering it to a nest as usually adults will eat the catch near where they caught it.
Firecrest
Firecrest
Ring: Metal ring, code LLR170
Born: 2022, Male
Ringed: 11 / Sep / 22
River Jubilee, Berkshire, UK
Found: 21 / Aug / 23 (1 year old)
Langley Park, Berkshire, UK
Notes: I found this bird only 1 mile from home, since finding it I have continued to re-find it in the same patch of trees. In summer '24 I had the pleasure of seeing it with it's mate and feeding at least 2 young. As you can see from the photo, when I first found him he was looking pretty tatty in his post-breeding moult. Worn out by raising his children!
Lesser Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
Ring: Metal ring, code AEF8052
Born: 2018, Male
Ringed: 7 / May / 19
Queen Mary Reservoir, Surrey, UK
Found: 24 / Apr / 24 (6 years old)
Stanwell Moor, Surrey, UK
Notes: Quite an old bird for a migratory warbler. It hadn't moved very far from where it was originally rung but will have spent the winter in Africa every year! Singing away and holding territory, it likely was breeding.
Common Tern
Common Tern
Ring: Colour ring, yellow, C13, metal ring, code XR39758
Born: 2014, Unknown
Ringed: 2 / Jul / 14
Bedfont Lakes, Greater London, UK
Found: 7 / Aug / 24 (10 years old)
Staines Reservoirs, Surrey, UK
Notes: Another migratory bird that will have visited Africa each winter, yet still returns to very near where it was born to breed. I saw it carrying fish back to a fledgling on the nesting raft, amazing to see it having a successful breeding year. This bird spent it's first two summers in spain, rather than coming all the way back to the UK. Another beauty of larger plastic rings means more people are likely to be able to read them.
Honey Buzzard
Honey Buzzard
Ring: Colour ring, white, AT
Born: 2006, Male
Ringed: Summer / 06
Sussex, UK
Found: 12 / Aug / 24 (18 years old - oldest recorded British H.B.)
Sussex, UK
Notes: My first summer spent watching these strange raptors and I hit gold. Getting an identifiable photo of a honey buzzard's ring. This bird was running lots of trips over the viewpoint with food, clearly taking it all back to a nest. As it was a very wet spring, the insect population was at quite a low, so the main food seen carrying wasn't the usual combs of wasps nests, but frogs! This is a usual prey for them in spring, but not so often later in the season.
Peregrine
Peregrine
Ring: Colour ring, white, N*
Born: 2024, Unknown
Ringed: Summer / 24
Netherlands
Found: 19 / Oct / 24 (< 1 year old)
Staines Moor, Surrey, UK
Notes: This juvenile had become a regular on the moor, often having it's breakfast on the same pylon when I'd come round for my morning walk. Annoyingly, it has some dirt covering the second and third character, so it's impossible to identify which exact individual it is, but the layout of the ring means it is a bird rung in the Netherlands. As it's a juvenile, it must have been rung the same year I saw it too.
Peregrine
Peregrine
Ring: Colour ring, blue, DG
Born: 2022, Male
Ringed: Summer / 22
Reading, Berkshire , UK
Found: 30 / Nov / 24 (2 years old)
Staines Reservoirs, Surrey, UK
Notes: A male that had recently been seen nearby in Kingston. When I saw him he had a female sticking close to him, so it looks as those he's already done well in pairing up. Hopefully, the two of them find a suitable spot for next year to nest in.
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