British Birds
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British Birds Vol. 60 No. 2 FEBRUARY 1967 Recoveries in Great Britain and Ireland of birds ringed abroad By Robert Hudson THE YEAR 1965 produced a grand total of 721 recoveries in the British Isles of foreign-ringed birds. Five of the 71 species involved—Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus, Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis, Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus, Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus and Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis—are appearing in these lists for the first time. A recovery may be described as 'unusual' for two reasons: (i) because it is, or is thought to be, atypical for the species; or (ii) because the species is caught in very small numbers so that any recoveries are infrequent. In the latter category come the first records of Great Crested Grebe (from Denmark), Fulmar (ringed in the North Sea) and Spotted Redshank (from the Netherlands) mentioned above; also a Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata from Greenland, two Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus from Iceland, a Danish Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus and a Finnish Waxwing Bombycilia garrulus. In the other category—recoveries that appear to be atypical, at least on present knowledge—there are several 1965 records which should be mentioned here. Pride of place must go to the seven Bearded Tits. These are the first foreign-ringed ones to be found in this country and constitute the first direct evidence that the species can cross the North Sea; though when the British Bearded Tits were almost exterminated in the severe winter of 1947, it was postulated that the subsequent population recovery was possible only through immigration from the Continent. Apart from these, however, the Dutch Woodpigeon Columba palumbus shot in Essex on 3rd February 1963 (but not notified until 65 BRITISH BIRDS recently) was only the third foreign-ringed one to be found in Britain, which fact, when considered in relation to the shooting pressure in England, further indicates how very few immigrant Woodpigeons are 'at risk' to shooters in this country. The recovery of two foreign Jackdaws Corpus monedula in one year is noteworthy; the one from Norway will have been of the Scandinavian race, of course. Mention must also be made here of the two Dutch Redshanks T. totanus in eastern England (few individuals of the Continental race reach this country, apparently), the Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus from Austria in Lincolnshire (another 'first'), and the Belgian Great Tit Pants major (ringed as a nestling) retrapped in Kent. The Snow Bunt• ing from east Greenland was a rather unexpected find in Shetland since all previous recoveries of this species ringed in east Greenland have been in the Soviet Arctic. The present list contains several interesting longevity records. Few Pink-footed Geese Anser fabalis brachyrhynchus can now remain from the Wildfowl Trust's 1951 and 1953 expeditions to central Iceland and henceforth the recoveries are being listed in full. A White-fronted Goose A. albifrons of 16 years was nearly equalled by a Starling Sturnus vulgaris that reached the ripe old age of 15 \ years; while a Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs ringed as an adult in 1953 must have been at least iof years at its death in 1963 (not notified until 1965). Selected list of recoveries reported during 1965 The symbols and terms are the same as those used in the 'Report on bird-ringing for 1965' (see Brit. Birds, 59: 441-491), with the exception that the term 'juv.' cannot always be relied upon to signify a young bird able to fly freely; owing to lack of unanimity in the various ringing schemes, this term may sometimes mean a chick (=pullus). The figures in brackets after each scientific name denote the number of recoveries reported in 1965 and the grand total for the species. Abbreviations used for ringing schemes A. Vogeltrekstation Arnhem Odense Ringmaerkestation, Odense As Statensviltundersokelser, As, P. C.R.M.M.O., Paris Norway Fret. Zoo Pretoria B. Natural Sciences Institute, Brussels R. Vogelwarte Radolfzell C. Copenhagen Museum Rk. Reykjavik Museum G. Goteborg Museum S.S. Grupo Aranzadi, San Sebastian H. Vogelwarte Helgoland Hki. Helsinki Museum Stat). Stavanger Museum /. Soeiete Jersiaise St. Stockholm Museum St. Orn. Stockholm 'Ornis' (Sveriges M. Moscow Ringing Bureau Ornithologiska Forening) NFBW Belgian bird-catchers' organisation Sv.J.F. Svenska Jagare Forbundet 0. Oslo Museum 66 FOREIGN-RINGED RECOVERIES Red-throated Diver (Gavia sttllatd) (i; 2) C. (?age) 16.7.55 Daneborg: 74°i8'N. 20°i4'W., Greenland 27)942 X 24.3.64 near Gravesend: 5i°27'N. o°24'E. (Kent) The only previous foreign-ringed recovery of this species in Britain, also from Greenland, was in the adjacent county of Essex. Great Crested Grebe (Po&eps cristatus) (1; 1) C. ad. 28.5.62 Copenhagen: 55°47'N. i2°29'E., Denmark 399566 x (22.1.63) Dymchurch; 5i°02'N. i°oo'E. (Kent) Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) (1; 1) C. ad. 10.7.60 North Sea: c. 58°oo1SI. 5°oo'E. 488034 x 9.8.63 North Roe: 6o°35'N. i°25'W. (Shetland) Gannet (St/la has sand) (1; 14) /. pull. 31.7.64 Les Etacs: 49°42'N. 2°i 5'W. (Alderney) Channel Islands F1937 x {net) 28.7.65 Youghal: 5i°5i'N. 7°5o'W. (Cork) Heron (Ardea cinerea) (15; 220) Slav. pull. 9.6.63 war Gjemnes: 62°58'N. 7°5o'E. (M0re og Romsdal) Norway 210550 /?/ 16.9.64 Port Gordon: 57°4o'N. 3°oi'W. (Banff) Stat. pull. 9.6.63 near Gjemnes, Norway 210533 x 25.1.64 Ulsta: 6o°3o'N. iV/'W. (Shetland) O. puil. 2,6.60 near Volda: 62°o5'N. 6°o3'E, (Mere og Romsdal) Norway 50386 x 11.II.61 Randalstown: 54°45'N. 6°i9'W. (Antrim) Stav. pull. 12.6.60 near Sund: 6o°i5'N. 5°i 1 'E. (Hordaland) Norway 206466 + 20.1.65 Montrose Basin: 56°42'N. 2°28'W. (Angus) Stan. pull. 23.6.63 »ear Rennesay: 59°07'N. 5°38'E. (Rogaland) Norway 210589 x 21.5.64 Glenelg: 57°I3'N. 5°35'W. (Inverness) Stav. pull. 23.6.63 near Rennesoy, Norway 210590 x 13.2.64 Hardingham: 52°36'N. I°OI'E. (Norfolk) Stav. pull. 2.6.63 Nodlandsvatnet: 58°28'N. 6°io'E. (Rogaland) Norway 206426 x 22.3.64 Glen Fyne: 56°i5'N.4°55'W. (Argyll) Stav. pull. 2.6.63 Nodlandsvatnet, Norway 206432 x 3.1.64 Portaferry: 54°23'N. 5°33'W. (Down) Stav. pull. 14.6.64 ««arH0vag: 58°n'N. 8°I7'E. (Aust Agder) Norway 211189 /?/ 26.11.64 Bolton Abbey: 53°59'N. i054"W. (York) As pull. 17-5-6; near Hovag, Norway 22128 () 10.10.65 «earNewburgh: 5 7°2o'N. 2°oo'W. (Aberdeen) St. pull. 9.5.61 Kungalv: 57°52'N. n°58'E. (Bohuslan) Sweden 9200671 + 19.12.61 near Glenluce: 54°52'N. 4°5o'W. (Wigtown) Odense pull. 15.5.65 Fonsskov: 5 j°26'N. 9°47'E. (Fyn) Denmark U16) x {wires) 14.12.65 Brampton: 54°56'N. 2°44'W. (Cumberland) C. pull, 22.5.61 Jejsing: 54°57'N. 8°58'E. (Jutland) Denmark 292888 X 6.2.63 war Emsworth: 5o°51'N. o°j6'W. (Hampshire) A.. pull. 12-5-57 West Terschelling: 53°22'N. 5°i3'E., Frisian Islands, Nether lands 3J0?9° + 26.12,62 Hucknall: 530O3'N. i° 11'W. (Nottingham) 67 BRITISH BIRDS A. pull. 16.5.65 mar Callantsoog: 52°49'N. 4°4i'E. (Noord Holland) Nether- Soi;iS7 lands x 0.11.65 Sizewell: 52°i3'N. i°37'E- (Suffolk) Bittern (Botaurus stellar is) (1; 6) St. pull. 15.6.63 Soderfjarden: 59°24'N. i6°5o'E. (Sodermanland) Sweden 9101734 x 10,1.65 Dalston: 54°5o'N. 2°59'W. (Cumberland) Mallard (Anas platyrhjnchos) (11; 342) Hki. juv. <J 25.7.62 war Fori: 6i°28'N. 2i°45'E., Finland H47012 + 31.12.63 Charlestown: 57°o6'N. 2°07'W. (Kincatdine) Hki. juv. 29.6.64 »ear Lumijoki: 64°5o'N. 25°I5'E. (Oulu) Finland H51435 + c. 1.1.65 Downham Market: 52°36'N. o°23'E. (Norfolk) The other nine recoveries had been ringed outside the breeding season in Sweden (three), Denmark (two) and Belgium (four). Teal {Anas crecca) (27; 1,476) Hki. juv. 14.7.63 Vimpeli: 63°io'N. z^tfilL. (Vaasa) Finland C14690i + 17.1.64 North Berwick: jfi^TM. 2°44'W. (East Lothian) St. pull. 17.6.63 near Ottenby: 56°i2'N. i6°24'E. (Oland) Sweden $JO$IH + 1.9.64 Milton Abbas: jo°49'N. 2°i6'W. (Dorset) Only these two were ringed on their known breeding grounds. The others came from Finland (one), Sweden (eight), Denmark (eight), Germany (one), the Nether lands (three) and France (four). Garganey (Anas querquedula) (1; 12) A. f.g. $ 1.11.61 Gennerbroek: 52°34'N. 6°o8'E. (Overijssel) Netherlands 375853 + 6.12.62 Tathwell: 53°2o'N, o°o2'w". (Lincoln) Wigeon (Anas penelope) (10; 193) Hki. juv. 2.7-63 war Kokkola: 63°53'N. 23°04'E. (Vaasa) Finland C91244 + 18.9.63 Holbeach Marsh: 52°54'N. o°04'E. (Lincoln) Hki. juv. cJ 29.6.64 «««rLumijoki: 64°5o'N. 25°I5'E. (Oulu) Finland CiT44ii + 30.1.65 Burnham-on-Crouch: 5i°38'N. o°49'E. (Essex) The remainder had been ringed in autumn/winter in Denmark (five) and the Netherlands (three). Pintail (Anas acuta) (2; 63) A. juv. $ 9.10.65 De Koog: j3°o6TSI.