Swan Update

A few posts back I blogged about the Swan survey work I have been conducting and how I was able to read the Tag of one of the Swans in the park- BEF.

I submitted the details to EURING to get more information and today the email came back. The scheme not only logs your record but gives you information about the bird you have recorded.

The information revealed:

Thank you for taking the time to report to us details of a bird ring you found. Information about this bird and its movements is given below.

Ringing Scheme: London Ring Number: W31824 Species of bird: Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)

This bird was ringed by Arden Ringing Group as age 2nd year, sex unknown on 03-Feb-2012 11:55:00 at Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, UK

OS Map reference SP2054 accuracy 0, co-ordinates 52deg 11min N 1deg 42min W accuracy 0.

Colour Marks left below knee ON(BEF)

Colour Marks right below knee M

It was found on 07-Mar-2015 time unknown at St Nicholas Park, Warwick, Warwickshire, UK

OS Map reference SP2965 accuracy 0, co-ordinates 52deg 17min N 1deg 35min W accuracy 0.

Finding condition: Sight record by non-ringer

Finding circumstances: Field Record

Extra Information: -

It was found 1128 days after it was ringed, 14 km from the ringing site, direction NE.

Bird Ringing in Britain & Ireland is organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Each year over 900,000 birds are ringed by over 2,500 highly trained bird ringers, most of whom are volunteers. They follow a careful training process that can take several years to complete to ensure that they have the necessary skills to catch and ring birds. The bird’s welfare is always the most important consideration during ringing activities.

Ringing began over 100 years ago to study the movements of birds. While it continues to generate information about movements, it also allows us to study how many young birds leave the nest and survive to breed as adults, as well as how many adults live from year to year and how many birds disperse to different breeding sites. Collection of this information helps us to understand why bird populations increase or decrease − vital information for conservation. Details of how many birds have been caught and where and when they have been found are available on the BTO website at www.bto.org/ringing-report.

Some interesting facts discovered from ringing data....

Oldest bird – Manx shearwater, 50 yrs 11 months

Furthest travelled – Arctic Tern from Wales to Australia 18,000 km

Strangest recovery – Osprey ring found in stomach of a crocodile in The Gambia!

Many thanks again for reporting this bird and contributing to the work of the Ringing Scheme. If you would like to find out more about the BTO please check out our website www.bto.org.

With best wishes

The Ringing Team