Wknd 23-24 June

Got behind with updating blog due to travelling, but last weekend had several darvic and colour rings in brief local excursions - red-CWE Shag at Seton harbour above, with green-AZL and blue-ZLP also there, all juv/imm.

On Seton/Gosford shore still 130+ Sandwich Term, many courtship feeding (these are not breeding at Aberlady or Isle of May, so why they are still here in unusually high numbers for June I'm not sure). Amongst them many ringed, c. 1 in 4 with metal, colour rings or darvics, the latter including red and white darvics from Forvie (two each, white-EDS and white-EVC) and "red over lime-right" apparently resident here since 18 May or earlier. EDS was ringed as an adult on the Ythan in August 2010; EVC was also ringed there in 2010 but was a recapture, ringed as a chick on the Farnes back in 1998, so now 14 years old. The longevity record is 30 yrs, 12 yrs is a typical life span.

Nice to have so many rings to read in mid-summer! Looking back to winter and Whooper darvics discussed here see also summary article just published in Scottish Birds 32(2) June 2012 pp. 164-167.