Bosrietzanger (OK, Dutch Marsh Warbler) in Suffolk

The end of May saw an influx of Marsh Warblers into the country and hopefully some of these will now hang around to breed as they have done in previous years. Several of these birds were also caught and Landguard Bird Observatory in Suffolk did rather well, catching three in just four days at the end of the month. The second of these, caught on 28th May, was already ringed though, but AT88367 (photographed in the hand below) had actually been ringed as an adult on 12th June 2011 at Castricum, Netherlands (in green on the map). This is first Dutch-ringed Marsh Warbler to be found in this country and there are just five previous reports of foreign-ringed birds in the UK: three from Norway and singles from Belgium and Denmark (ringing locations shown in blue on the map).

Three British-ringed birds have also been found abroad (recovery locations shown in red on the map): a nestling ringed in Worcestershire in 1985 was found drowned in Greece later that year, one from Sussex was recaught in Germany the next year and one ringed at Landguard Bird Obs in June 2008 was recaught in Belgium seven weeks later.


View Marsh Warbler movements in a larger map

Many thanks to Landguard Bird Obs for the news and to Will Brame for the photo. For those interested in Marsh Warbler ID, check how far outside the tertials the 'emargination' on the third primary falls...