Ring recoveries

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"

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ring: Colour ring, white, AT

Born: 2006, Male
Ringed: Summer / 06

Sussex, UK

Found: 12 / Aug / 24 (18 years old)

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

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.