Record Breaking Bittern

Brian Howson's superb photograph taken on 31st January has enabled us to read the last three numbers of the ring - 702. This is a female Bittern ringed as a nestling at Leighton Moss on the 8th of May 2000 with ring no 1291702. The ring number has been photographed or read through a telescope on 6 occasions over the past three years. This latest sighting means that it is nine years and 268 days since ringing making it the oldest Bittern recorded by the British Ringing Scheme. The bird was sexed as a female by DNA sampling at the time of ringing. It's sibling ringed 03 was also a female and was last identified with certainty at Leighton Moss on 2nd November 2008. We also have a third ringed Bittern a male that was rehabilitated by the RSPCA after being found wandering down a street in Bamber Bridge.It was released at Leighton Moss on 20 February 2009. This bird has a red colour ring also and was last seen on 10th of October.

John Wilson