A lot of rain this week as the winds turned and increased from the west, so no ringing has been undertaken. Fulmars were reported returning to the south cliffs, on the 19th at least 5 birds were present. Also on the 19th a Grey Wagtail and 16 Siskins at Kiln farm. I flushed up a Woodcock from Essex farm whilst checking the furled ringing nets had stood up to the poor weather conditions. A single Grey Heron and Turnstone have frequented Longis Bay all week and Essex farm sewage works remains a haven for half a dozen die hard Chiffchaffs.
The runaway highlight of this week, and truly marvellous way for the bird observatory to end 2017 was the fact that keen photographers in the UK managed to get shots a ringed Penduline Tit that was found in Gloucestershire 16th Dec. Photos of the ring on the bird were sufficient for us to be able to say beyond doubt that the bird was the very same individual we ringed at Mannez quarry 28th October this year. So this bird was relocated 49 days after visiting Alderney 239km from us here in the Channel Islands. Through The Channel Islands ringing scheme further data concerning movements of three other birds has been received this week. A sighting we recorded in Alderney from July this year of a Black-headed Gull, was first ringed in Germany in 2013. A Goldfinch ringed at Cape Clear bird observatory southern Ireland in July this year after travelling 551km was processed here in October, and also a Chiffchaff ringed on Skomer Island in April this year, processed here in October after travelling 315km.
Penduline Tit – female, at Plock Court, Longford Gloucester
One of several shots of the ring that enabled us to verify it as the Alderney ringed bird