This is the time of the great movement southward of our summer migrants- obvious to anyone who birds or especially rings on a regular basis. Recent recoveries shows how early some of our summer visitors start to leave. A juvenile Sand Martin caught in Spain on 28th July just 39 days after ringing had flown 1300 km south. A juvenile Sedge Warbler was on the south coast in Sussex on 13 August just 5 days after ringing at Leighton Moss, a movement of 426 km SSE.
But not all summer visitors set off south at first, a juvenile Garden Warbler ringed on 24 July sadly killed itself against a window in Kirkby Thore Cumbria 53 km NNE 9 days later. While a Reed Warbler ringed as a short tailed juvenile and obviously close to its birth place at Middleton NR was caught at Leighton Moss 38 days later, 18 km to the north. Most probably these are just part of a random dispersal that takes place before the on set of the southerly movement.
Other recoveries included 4 Sand Martins ringed in Sussex on migration and found breeding in the River Lune colonies. The brings the total of Sand Martins we have had reported in Sussex to a staggering 124 with the bulk occurring there in August.
Two Siskin caught while breeding in Dumfries and Galloway brings to nine the Siskin we have had reported from this area.
John
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