1 December 2009

While looking for the Great White Egret at Slapton Ley on 12 November, Mark Darlaston noticed a young Cormorant flying over. With camera in hand, he took a few quick flight shots but it wasn't until a few days later that he got around to looking at them… and made a discovery.

Mark writes: "It was pleasing to see I had captured the young bird in flight… but even better, it clearly had a darvic ring with the letters 'HVY' on the left leg [see photo below].

I contacted Roger Swinfen, Devon Birds Ringing Secretary. Roger in turn quickly contacted Dr Stuart Newson at the BTO, who was able to suggest the likely project using these rings. The photo was then sent to Raymond Duncan (Grampian Ringing Group Secretary), who confirmed the bird was one of theirs and had been ringed on 25 July 2009 at Inverbervie, north-east Scotland [see sightings map below]. Raymond was very pleased to hear of the sighting and amazed how far south this young bird had gone.

This particular project uses white darvic rings with green lettering (although I have to say I was unable to get the colour from the photo!). Raymond would be pleased to hear of any sightings of Cormorants with such rings, which can be sent to info@devonbirds.org. I actually saw what was most likely the same bird flying at Slapton Ley on 30 November."

This once again shows how much we learn from such projects. If you see any colour-ringed bird, please make sure you copy details of the sighting to Roger Swinfen and/or Mike Langman, the Devon Bird Recorder, as well as to the BTO Ringing Office (ringing@bto.org) and/or the project coordinators where known.

Cormorant – Slapton Ley – © Mark Darlaston – 12 November 2009

Close-up of the Cormorant's colour-ring HVY

Sightings of Cormorants colour-ringed at Inverbervie (map courtesy of Raymond Duncan).