Colour Ringed Birds

129. House Martin

Peregrine's Birding Facts The Hooded Pitohui is one of a small number of birds known to be poisonous. See link HERE at Birdforum's recently updated website.


I was on my own for the weekend as Jeremy my eldest son was off to a party with his girlfriend and Charlie my youngest was off with Penny in England at a recording studio in Hampshire as a session bassist. So there was little else for me to do other than head out to Killard to photograph some Brent Geese or rather any that had rings.



I usually send them to Graham McElwaine Resightings Coordinator who lives a few miles from me. He then sends me a report about each bird. For example his reply was as follows:

Hi Craig,

Details below of these three. What is not included yet is the fact that LBYY
turned up the next day at Loch Indaal on Islay! Apparently the weather
clamped down suddenly, and we have now received ring records from flocks
which stopped off at Islay, Tiree and even Rum!! Apparently at the latter
they were using the beach which was featured in the deer watch part that
Simon King did for Autumnwatch on BBC!
Cheers,
Graham

For the bottom photo the info would be
Light-bellied Brent Goose Ring Resightings Database: Band details Irish Brent Goose Research Group

Darvic FZYY Right Leg Letter/Colour: F Yellow Age Code 4 Father: Status:
Metal 18204 Left Leg Letter/Colour: Z Yellow Sex M Mother:
Date Ringed 20/05/02 Ringing Site Hausastadir, Álftanes, SW Iceland Bird Name: Siblings:
Sheet Date Obs Grid Site Subsite Flock Associates Comments
0 20-May-02 GG Skerjafjörður Alftanes ? Stayed until 01/06/02
3 13-Oct-02 GM J495360 Dundrum Bay Murphystown 14
0 13-Nov-02 AP J575675 Strangford Lough Greyabbey?
0 25-Nov-02 HT Strangford Lough ?
0 02-Mar-03 HT J540366 Killough Harbour 300
0 11-May-03 GG Skerjafjörður Alftanes ? Stayed until 13/05/03
20 26-Dec-03 GM J408367 Dundrum Bay Inner Bay/N of Harbour 100 39 17-Feb-04 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 250
84 15-Apr-04 GM J503360 Dundrum Bay Rossglass Beach36
0 02-May-04 GG Skerjafjörður Alftanes Stayed until 24/05/04
26 21-Oct-04 GM J573674 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay West
76 29-Nov-04 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 189
94 07-Dec-04 GM J540366 Killough Harbour
252 25-Mar-05 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 615
261 30-Mar-05 GM J503360 Dundrum Bay Rossglass Beach 107
294 15-Apr-05 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 430
295 17-Apr-05 SB J540366 Killough Harbour 1200
0 07-May-05 GG Skerjafjörður Alftanes/Bessastadir Last seen here 18/05/05
101 11-Oct-05 RI/KC J575675 Strangford Lough Greyabbey+ 2 Juveniles
47 18-Oct-05 GM/HT J573674 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay West
101 22-Oct-05 RI/SB J575675 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Unringed Mate + 3 Juveniles
168 11-Dec-05 HT J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay
185 24-Dec-05 GM J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay 40
352 25-Dec-05 EP J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay
329 05-Mar-06 GM J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay 69
363 21-Mar-06 GM J600461 Strangford Lough Lagnagoppoge 140
396 07-Apr-06 GM J600461 Strangford Lough Lagnagoppoge 80
417 13-Apr-06 GM J600461 Strangford Lough Lagnagoppoge 90
465 30-Apr-06 GM J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay 77 Unringed Mate + 2 Juveniles
468 30-Apr-06 IE J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay 70
30 04-Oct-06 KM J579673 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay East 790
58 30-Oct-06 AP J579673 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay East 750
73 30-Oct-06 KC/SB J579673 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay East
82 17-Nov-06 KC J579673 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay East
129 28-Nov-06 GM J579673 Strangford Lough Greyabbey Bay East 260
144 15-Dec-06 GM J539499 Strangford Lough Myra East 140
149 17-Dec-06 GM J532495 Strangford Lough Myra West 460
192 09-Jan-07 GM J532495 Strangford Lough Myra West 600
206 11-Jan-07 GM J532495 Strangford Lough Myra West 670
291 31-Jan-07 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 14
313 14-Feb-07 GM J537367 Killough Harbour Killough Side 150 Unringed Associate
320 27-Feb-07 GM J537367 Killough Harbour Killough Side 215
362 06-Mar-07 GM J532495 Strangford Lough Myra West 800
372 09-Mar-07 GM J537367 Killough Harbour Killough Side 190Unassociated
376 10-Mar-07 DN J540366 Killough Harbour ?PBBW
401 15-Mar-07 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 370 Unringed Associate
427 22-Mar-07 GM J503360 Dundrum Bay Rossglass Beach 43
469 30-Mar-07 GM J517348 Dundrum Bay Quay Port 17
516 14-Apr-07 GM J540366 Killough Harbour 450
517 15-Apr-07 GM J600461 Strangford Lough Lagnagoppoge 21
524 18-Apr-07 CN J601442 Strangford Lough Millquarter Bay 170 Photographed

After I had photographed them I went for a walk really with the idea of seeing whether the Whitethroats were back at Killard. Not to be. However there was three Wheatear in their winter/spring plumage. Only one let me close enough to take photos.

On my way back Pickle put up a flock of about twenty Ringed Plover and I photographed them coming back into the beach and I noticed that one was colour ringed.Which was most exciting as it was totally unexpected.

So when I got home and processed all my photos or should I say delete delete delete well to most anyway!! I blew up the photo of the plover and when I had determined the colour and positioning I went to this excellent site created and maintained by Dirk Raes, during his free time. CLICK on Highlighted Word to go to site. It gives details Worldwide of colour ringing schemes. I found that it was an Icelandic bird and sent photograph there to relevant co-ordinator. Here is his reply.

Thank you for the sighting and the picture. This bird is from me. I ringed
it (male) 31.05.2005 on a nest in Önundarfjörður. He got a least one chick
that summer. Saw him last year and found his nest but he lost it.

The first sighting of last year was 4th of may in Önundarfjörður (Western
part of Iceland).

The map shows Önundarfjörður but I live in Bolungarvík. I colour ringe
birds there to and few birds in Dýrafjörður.

The picture is from Önundarfjörður and the arrow point to the nest location.
There is about 60-70 pairs in that area

I let you when the bird will arrived (if he will). I have today 10 colour
ringed birds in Önundarfjörður and 19 with no ringes. Not seen birds in
other area. The first bird was seen 14th of april which is early.

Thanks again

Böðvar Þórisson (Bodvar Thorisson)



This is another reason why I like birding and I find it really gratifying when you get this sort of information. Most people would have just seen a flock of birds on the shoreline not even knowing what they were. Whereas I have found out where this bird is probably going to return to breed. I did tell it that it should remain in Northern Ireland and breed at Killard I wonder whether it heard me!!!