This week we have caught a Reed Warbler at Leighton Moss which was first ringed there on 23/07/01. that makes it 7 years 342 days since ringing, almost 8 years. However it was an adult when caught so it is at least 9 years old. The oldest Reed Warbler the group has recorded to date was 10 years old. The oldest Reed Warbler recorded by the National Ringing Scheme was 13 years- so our bird has a bit to go. The interesting thing is that it had never been retrapped during the 8 years until this year.
We have also had two other long livers this spring at 6 years and 302 days and 5 years and 309 days. These two birds have also not been regularly re-trapped. They have obviously breeding away from our ringing rides. This year though much of the reedbed was seriously trashed by the roosting Starlings so there may well have been a re-distribution of breeding birds.
John Wilson
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