A colour-ringed Sandwich Tern on the rocks at Wrecked Craigs today, right leg lime over red; this is one of 300 birds randomly marked in this way out of 725 pulli ringed at the Sands of Forvie colony in NE Scotland in June 2008, where c.667 pairs had bred - hence a 1st-summer and an interesting example of a bird which has returned from its wintering grounds at this age (e.g. the BTO Migration Atlas plots 21 locations for 1st-yrs in May-July (Fig. 7b, p. 383) of which 20 are in Africa and one in NW Spain).Also, another new Shag darvic (photo shows LBF-blue on the left, SCD-green in foreground). Updated summary of records, with histories.
A Whimbrel also flew over and 12 Mute Swans have now arrived back at the Seton Burn where they gathered late summer last year.
Comment from ringer (Alistair J.M. Smith): Thank you for the record of this quite unusual sighting of one of my colour-ringed Sandwich Terns at Wrecked Craigs, Port Seton, on 13.08.09. During 2008 300 young were marked with BTO ring on left leg and LIGHTGREEN over RED on the right leg at Forvie National Nature Reserve, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire. Although I have several records of one year old birds returning to Forvie it is so exceptional that it is worthy of comment. Normally all birds of this year class remain in their wintering quarters. I wonder if perchance this is the same bird you saw at this location in 2008 - this would be a long shot but not impossible. Keep watching! A number of 2009 juveniles marked ML/RED over LIGHT GREEN have been reported in your area and one was at Montrose two weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteAlistair