Have spent some time during the lockdown looking at our Pied Flycatcher data. In total the group has ringed 10,153 nestlings from around 1650 broods. Return rates since we started the RAS in 2012 has been around 9%.
Most of the birds returning as adults are the only one which survives from a brood of 6 or 7. However I discovered that two birds from 37 broods had survived to return as breeding adults. However a brood of six ringed in 2012 was exceptional as four nestlings returned to breed in our nestboxes in the following years.
Adult birds usually have a survival rate of ca 45%. But this exceptional brood also had a good adult survival rate. One survived for two year another for three years with another at four years and most amazing one for six years. This was just a year short of our oldest Pied Flycatcher. So an amazing brood.
The parents though were not exceptional, the female was only in its first breeding season and the age of the male was unknown as it was newly ringed that year. We never retrapped either of them in the following years.
Looking forward to this coming spring to seee how many pairs return. Last year we had a record numer of 120 occupied boxes. At the moment we are planning a visit to repair and replace some of the older nest boxes.
John
