Jersey Control is a first!

A goldfinch ringed in Kingsteignton, South Devon on 20 Nov 2007 was later controlled on 10 February 2008 at Woodlands Farm, St Helier, Jersey. This garden ringed bird was one of 41 caught and ringed in November 2007. The young female (ring no V766279) was recaptured 82 days later on Jersey, having travelled a distance of 183km. It was assumed that the bird was ringed whilst migrating south through Devon in the autumn and then recaptured on Jersey, when returning north in the spring.

Initially, the distance was not recognised as a significant movement and the importance of this control not realised.

However the BTO 2008 Ringing Report (December 2009) published the record and commented that ' Most international recoveries of BTO -ringed goldfinches have been of birds moving to Belgium, France and Spain; V766279 is the first report in the Channel Islands'.

Devon ringed goldfinches over the last decade 1998 - 2008 have mostly been recovered within Devon; with the exception of two moving to Somerset, one from Portland Bill and one from Lundy. The number of goldfinches ringed annually in Devon has more than doubled since 2007 and have now produced two recoveries from across the English Channel. The other recovery was of a juvenile goldfinch ringed at Kenn on 12 October 2007, which was controlled 80 days later in Gironde, France - but this bird had travelled a much greater distance of 703km over a very similar duration.

Ringing data emerging from the Kingsteignton garden site shows that the goldfinches peak in November / December and then again in January / February. This in theory coincides with southerly autumn migration and northerly spring migration patterns.