Mystery ring...

Found on the beach Carnsore Point, Wexford, on 17 September, this ring was a bit of a mystery at first.Many birds are colour-ringed to follow their movements, but without a species was this of use?


The giveaway is the unique, flattened shape of the ring, perfect to fit the leg of something like.... an auk. This is exactly what it turned out to be - a Guillemot ring. It was from a chick ringed (also with BTO ring number N03971) on Skomer Island, South Wales, on 26 June, so it hadn't survived too long.

All sightings of colour-ringed birds can be reported online at www.ring.ac so keep your eyes peeled!

Thanks to Tony Murray for the finding details and Tim Birkhead for the ringing details.