Collars galore

Nick Moran (the BirdTrack Organiser here at the BTO) has been out an about recently recording neck-collared wildfowl. NB: All records of neck-collared birds can be reported online at www.ring.ac

First up was this Bewick's Swan Nick photographed near Little Ouse, Cambs, on 30 January. We're not sure where this bird was ringed, but do know it has previously been seen in The Netherlands (in Flevoland on 17/12/2008) and Germany (11-29/3/2009). Histories of other neck-collared swans can be found here.


Just this last weekend (21 February) Nick noted a couple of neck-collared Pink-footed Geese near Lackford, Suffolk. These birds weren't the usual silver-collared birds (from the Icelandic population) but had blue collars.


Both of these birds (H7K and I3R) were ringed on 30 March 2005 in Denmark. Since being ringed these birds have commuted between Norway, Denmark and The Netherlands in subsequent winters, and a full list of sightings (59 and 76 sightings so far for the two birds) can be found here.

Remarkably, we have fewer than 10 records of birds from this population (three from Denmark and six from The Netherlands), which breed on Spitsbergen and winter on the Continent. Interestingly, this flock of Pink-feet also contained an obliging Tundra Bean Goose.


Thanks to Nick for letting us know about these birds and for the photos.