Recent recoveries

Amongst a recent batch of recoveries were a handful of local birds such as Kestrel, Black-headed Gull Yellowhammer and a Tawny Owl found after 3 years. Also there were Barn Owls found 3 and 4 years after being ringed as chicks and one which moved to Leicestershire after a year and two others which moved to Yorkshire and Lincolnshire after 3 years. A young Blackcap ringed at HPP was found the following year, also in Lincolnshire.

As Kev has noted, we have had some strange recoveries before (such as birds that have been caught in lobster pots) but the Robin ringed by Mick P in Arnold is the first we've had to be run over by a lawnmower!

It's not often we ring Moorhens, let alone get them recovered, so a bird ringed at Attenborough in 1997 and recovered in Rufford this year, is impressive. Only the leg bone and ring were found so it's not clear how long the bird had survived, though an interesting extra detail is that it trns out the recovery was submitted by my wife's second cousin!

However, all these are eclipsed by a Chaffinch ringed as a 3M at Granby on New Year's Eve 2008 and recovered in Norway in August of this year! (See map below.) Furthermore, it was released after hitting a window, so keep your fingers crossed that it returns to Notts this year!
Pete