One for sorrow, Two for Joy... actually one for Joy!

Living in Thetford, Norfolk I have access to some fantastic ringing sites on the BTO reserve and in Thetford Forest but when there is not much time, I ring for the odd hour in my garden.

On the 11th November 2009 I put a mist net up in my garden to ring the odd Blackbird and Blue Tit but what I didn't expect was to catch a Magpie which became ET11453. The only one I have ever caught.

Out of the 1393 recoveries we have for Magpie in Britain and Ireland the average distance flown for a Magpie is 5km (1118 have moved 5km or less). So I had a shock when this bird was found in Hollesley, Suffolk, unfortunately in a Larsen trap, a distance of 63km! Making it into 14th place for the furthest travelled.

Why it went such a long way from Thetford is anyone's guess, but thanks to ringing we know that ET11453 did make that unusual movement.

Thanks to Mike Toms for the photo