Press Releases - January/February 2005

Item 1

26 January 2005

Fancy Devon for Christmas

Most people would think of their garden Blackbirds as having fairly boring lives but BTO-ringed bird CL98725 has two gardens – one in Norfolk and the other in Devon – travelling south from Thetford in Norfolk to spend the last two Christmases in Newton Abbot.

Blackbird CL98725 was ringed as a juvenile in a Thetford garden on 5 July 2003, and given unique coloured rings on 20 September 2003 (blue, blue, red). It was last seen in Thetford on 30 September. It was then seen in a garden in Newton Abbot (365km from Thetford) on 26 December, where its colour rings were recorded. It stayed in this garden until 14 February 2004, and the bird was not seen until it turned up again in Thetford on 29 May 2004. It was seen several times in the Thetford garden until 26 June when it was recaught and photographed. Even more remarkably, on Boxing Day, exactly one year after first being seen in Newton Abbot, this bird was again seen in the same Devon garden! Details are given below.

Jeff Kew the BTO bird ringer who caught the Blackbird in his Thetford garden is happy to be contacted on 07711-758932.

Photographs of the colour-ringed Blackbird in Norfolk and Devon are available from Mark Grantham on or 01842 750050. Mark works in the BTO’s Ringing Office and will be happy to provide more information on ringing and to explain just how unusual this record is.

CL98725 – blue, blue, red

· Ringed 5 July 2003 as a young bird, newly out of the nest.
· It was caught again and colour-ringed on 20 September 2003, by which time it could be identified as a male (weighing 106g)
· Last seen in Thetford on 30 September 2003 (108g)

· Turned up in Newton Abbot on 26 December 2003
· Seen regularly in the garden until 14 February 2004

· Resighted back in Thetford 29 May 2004 and seen several times subsequently
· Caught once more in Thetford 26 June 2004 when it was photographed

· Resighted in Newton Abbot 26 December 2004
· Resighted in Newton Abbot 28 December 2004
· Most recently seen in Newton Abbot on 6 January 2005

Notes for editors

1. Each year, about 800,000 birds are ringed in Britain and Ireland by trained volunteers, operating on behalf of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Ringing, as a practical science, can only be learnt working in the ‘field’ with a qualified Trainer, of which there are over 300 in the country. After undergoing a period of training, usually of two years or more, a successful trainee is awarded a C permit, allowing him or her to ring alone, but still on behalf of a trainer. See: www.bto.org/ringing/ringinfo/become-a-ringer.htm

2. The scheme also receives support from Duchas the Heritage Service – National Parks and Wildlife (Ireland). The volunteer ringers give freely of their time and expertise and also provide a substantial part of the Scheme’s funding. Part of the BTO Ringing Scheme is funded by a partnership of the BTO and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (on behalf of English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales, and also on behalf of the Environment and Heritage Service in Northern Ireland).

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