Whilst working at the office last week we decided to open our mist nets so that Ben (new reserve manager/trainee bird ringer), could get the chance to have more experience of extracting, handling and ringing some of the local Blue and Long-tailed Tits often present around our NNR Base, so it was somewhat of a surprise to then find a Firecrest during one of the net rounds!
Whilst a total of 18 individuals have now been recorded in
the wider Lower Derwent area, this one was the first since 2021, with records
in 2016 and 2013 prior to that, making this species a difficult bird to connect
with in the local area. Over half of all the records have fallen in the months
of October and November, and as the new forthcoming ‘Birds of the Lower Derwent
Valley’ states – the careful checking of riverside tit flocks in late October
and early November would seem the best chance in locating one of these
colourful gems’.
Did you know - Regulus ignicapilla (scientific name)
translates roughly as the ‘fire-capped little king’ – a reference to the
beautiful orange crown of the male, well it’s safe to say that this bird (young
male) was indeed a little stunner!
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