John from "The Stray Rambler" blog left a comment on one of my Coniston posts about the ring he had spotted on the leg of an adult Mute Swan in one of my photos. I had completely missed the fact that the swan was ringed so many thanks to John.
Cropped photo of the ring with the letter number combination clearly visible.
John had kindly tried to find out more about the swan without success and I couldn't find out any information either so I sent the details off to the BTO ringing department.
A few days later I had an email from the NW Swan Study giving some details about the swan. She was originally ringed as an adult female on 8th December, 2009, at Marine Lake, Southport and has been on Coniston since 24th October, 2013. It was good to learn a little more about the swan and I am really grateful to NW Swan Study for sending me details.
11 comments:
It’s great to hear of this kind of success. I am sure the ringers were very happy to have news of the bird they banded.
Brlliant Caroline. Of interest, colour-ringed birds are best reported via the site cr-birding. You generally get a much quicker response.
David Gascoigne - Thank you. So glad John spotted and I was then able to submit the record.
Dean Stables - Thank you. I will remember cr-birding for any future coloured ringed birds I see - I will be looking for such rings everywhere now!
Great stuff. All reports help with their research. The few ringed birds I have seen have been small and unfortunately the ID usually runs round the ring so a photo only shows part of it.
Midmarsh John - Thank you - it is good that reports help with research. In the past the rings I have seen have been small and impossible to read as you say.
It's interesting to get some feedback, I never think of submitting for Swans because I suppose I assume they are generally resident where I see them, I shouldn't really assume!!
How wonderful to have been able to find out more about the swan. It's got to be at least ten years old hasn't it? I know very little about swans and how long they can live, it's good to know she is still around and not too far from where she was first ringed:)
Pam - Thanks - I thought they were pretty sedentary too - perhaps they are when they find a place they like :)
Rosie - Thank you. John from The Stray Rambler has mentioned the average life span is about 12 years in the wild but they can live up to 30 in captivity. I feel like visiting again next year to see if she is still there!
John Scurr - Thank you and special thanks too for spotting that ring! :)
People who have done ringing get really excited about our sightings. How cool to get all that info. I didn't even know that they ring swans....and especially swans because they can be really grouchy most of the times:)
Chris Rohrer - Thank you - I would imagine swans can be hard to ring!! Once or twice I've been to see people ring birds and it is wonderful to watch and they can get so much useful information if people report sightings.
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