A Bearded Tit originally ringed at Leighton Moss as a juvenile male on 08/08/02 was re-trapped this week 6 years and 331 days after ringing. We have a special programme running at Leighton Moss on Bearded Tits and all birds caught are colour ringed. This allows us to identify the bird without catching them and has been very useful in seeing which birds use the grit trays along the Causeway during autumn and early winter. This bird was seen there once each in 04 and o6 but on 4 occasions in 07 but not in either 06 or 08.
They need grit in their gizzards at this time of year as they change from the summer diet of soft insects to the much harder autumn and winter diet of reed seed.
Our record for the oldest Bearded Tit was one re-trapped 7 years and 6 days after ringing in 1991. This is the oldest Bearded Tit recorded by the British Ringing Scheme. So the present bird is only 40 days off the record.
John Wilson
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