20/06/12 - Highlight of the year?!

Well, it may be a little early in the year to make such a statement seeing as we are only half way through, but this one is going to be hard to beat - and it doesn’t even involve catching or ringing anything (well not this week!).

We’ve ringed a total of 13 Black-necked Grebes in the Lower Derwent Valley NNR since 1993 - a total of 11 young caught by hand in various ditches on the reserve and two breeding males. In 2004 (the last year in which we caught them) we colour-ringed two adults and two chicks, since then these birds have gone on to further our understanding of this species and its rather erratic use of sites. 

With several birds present again this year, Craig managed to get a good viewing of one of them a couple of weeks ago (27/05/12), the bird was sporting the colour-rings of Lime/Lime (FP70696). This bird was ringed as a chick in 2004 and hasn’t been seen in the valley since 2006. The history of this bird is listed below which also represents a new longevity record for the species (8 years and 2 days) the previous being just under two years (the bird in question). Again, this shows the value in colour-ringing such a species as all the metal ringed birds previously have failed to provide any data.

Two Black-necked Grebe chicks - 2001

History of FP70696 (Lime/Lime):

2004 - Ringed as a 1 (chick) on 25th May at North Duffield Carrs

2005 - Re-sighted on 5th April at North Duffield Carrs

2006 - Re-sighted on 10th April at North Duffield Carrs

2012 - Re-sighted on 27th May at North Duffield Carrs

Another adult colour-ringed in the valley on the same day as FP70696 has subsequently been seen on several occasions elsewhere:

History of FP70695 (Orange/Orange):

2004 - Ringed as an adult male on 25th May at North Duffield Carrs

2004 - Re-sighted on 2nd June at Farnham Gravel Pits, Knaresborough

2005 - Re-sighted on 4th April at Wheldrake Ings

Adult male Black-necked Grebe

Released back on to North Duffield Carrs

Orange colour-ring on show