Grey Wagtail Ringing

Grey Wagtails are a regular diurnal migrant in comparative small numbers  through North Lancashire from mid August to late October. They have been specially studied  at our ringing sites of Heysham and Middleton Nature Reserves resulting in the catching  and individually colour ringing of almost 400 birds.Interestingly all except one have been juveniles and we have only ever had two retraps.

Although 10 birds have been reported locally in winter there has been significant southerly movement with 4 autumn sightings in the Merseyside/Gt. Manchester area and one at Skokholm  in South Wales. Winter  sightings have been in Cheshire, Wolverhampton and Wiltshire .

There has only been two sightings during the breeding season both in South Cumbria so we have contacted as many people and organizations as possible who visit rivers to check any Grey Wagtails they see for colour rings. Ann  Ord Sykes's great photograph below shows the position of the rings. The  colour ring combinations are detailed below

LEFT LEG - a combination of RED and  BTO METAL  ring (please note which way round)

RIGHT LEG – TWO COLOURS – please note which way round and (with blue and green) whether a light or dark colour.

 Please contact PMrsh123@aol.com or text 07532433043 as soon as possible after the sighting. Thanks