It looked to be a shiny new ring to me. I wonder where it was tagged. I need to be able to see more of the number so I could look it up.
Having had a look around the web and using what I can make out on the ring it appears to have been issued by Riksmuseum Stockholm, Sweden so this may well be one of our visiting Starlings. I hope I can get some more photos of it to read the whole number. Then I can get the full information about this bird.
Yesterday when I went to get the mower out I noticed a couple of moths doing their best to camouflage themselves against the brickwork.
Any help in identifying them would be gratefully received.
The 2nd one looks like one of the wave moths to me. Possibly the Riband Wave (Idaea aversata).
I am pleased to see you have starlings and it is good that they are being monitored. We used to have loads but for several years now we have hardly seen any. It is the same with the hedgehogs who also all dissapeared around the same time.
ReplyDeleteThat's amazing! to see a starling from Stockholm. Perhaps you should take it back to Ikea!
ReplyDeleteHi Helen. You can have some of my Starlings as I get up to 26 at a time barging in on the feeders. There are many juveniles so they have been breeding well around here. I wonder if their roosting area has disappeared in your area.
ReplyDeleteI had a long gap without Hedgehogs then they started appearing again.
Ha Ha. Very droll Matron! I don't know how big an area of Scandinavia the Stockholm Museum records cover but it does seem to have travelled a fair old distance to raid my feeders. It looks darker than the usual Starlings. I have seen a few like that so maybe they are visitors as well.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason John, I can only see the first moth photo (which is beautiful) and none of the others. Not having the same problem anywhere else. Could there be a problem at your end?
ReplyDeleteHow interesting John. I didn't know that you could look up ring markings? I once had a bird ringer come to my garden to ring Parakeets. He also ringed other birds including "my" Robin. Those rings are far too small to be read though!
ReplyDeleteCan't help you with the moths but they have interesting markings!
John - I assume that your photos are hosted on flickr - many of my own photos are appearing either. (Please feel free to delete these tedious comments btw)
ReplyDeleteI think you're right with the second moth ID John. No idea on the first though.
ReplyDeleteThis link is pretty good for moth ID
http://www.back-garden-moths.co.uk/
It's surprising the number of birds that are ringed. All helps with our understanding of them I guess.
Good bit of detective work on the Starling.
Hi John, I do like Starlings, interesting that you have one that has been ringed. You must let us know if you find out any more information, I'm intrigued.
ReplyDeleteI'm all behind again John so I hope you won't mind me commenting on the posts I missed all in one place. So, assuming that you don't mind, starting from the oldest one I missed....
ReplyDeleteI'm very envious about the Woodpecker, that must have been a real thrill and the Swifts were great captures, so difficult to get!
Your blooms are gorgeous, I love all that colour and I too have learnt the art of close up photos concealing the true state of the garden ;) but maybe I shouldn't admit that!! I suspect we are not the only ones though!
It was lovely to hear and see the Song Thrush on your video, I really do still miss the one which was killed in my garden by the neighbour's killer cat earlier this year. Said cat had to be removed from the path of our car the other day as we came up the drive, and yes it did cross my mind!!!! but I'm just too soft hearted!!! ;)
It will be interesting to see if you find out any more about the ringed Starling and I had to laugh at Matron's comment :)
We have not had starlings for several years, can't help with the moths but they seem to have had a good year here as well. Maybe due to the demise of the starlings.
ReplyDeleteHi Mark. Flickr does seem to throw a wobbly from time to time. Sometimes I find the odd photo goes AWOL for a few hours. Possibly when they are undergoing maintenance on parts of the system.
ReplyDeleteHi Tricia. I thought there was information stored where I could look it up but it is not so much a question of looking a ring up as reporting it. There is a form on the BTO site where you enter all the details. They then pass that on to the appropriate museum and with luck you will eventually get an email with information about the bird. I sent off the little I could see on the ring but it may not be enough to identify that particular bird.
ReplyDeleteIt must have been fascinating to see the ringing process close up.
Thank you Keith. I'll have a look on that site. I found the wave moth on the Wild About Britain site by ploughing through pages of photographs but I lost patience by page 70 of about 137 pages, with 15 photos per page. The close up photos of Hawk moths were not doing my phobia any good :(
ReplyDeleteHi Omi. It really took me by surprise to see a ring on the Starling. An even bigger surprise to work out it had probably been ringed in Scandinavia. I hope it visits again and that I can see more of the number and then there is a good chance of getting all the information about it.
ReplyDeleteHi Jan. No problem. I have to play catch up sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI was envious of others and their visiting woodpeckers and I never dreamed I would get one here. I hope it comes back again.
As for the garden blooms - who says the camera never lies :) At least you can let people see the bits you don't mind others seeing.
I know how you feel about certain cats. A few days ago I had four different cats prowling under the bird feeders. I got fed up with doing Bobby's job - he was fast asleep as usual.
Hi Adrian. Peculiar how some areas seem to have lost Starlings and others have plenty. At the moment I have more than enough. I think there is a roost a couple of miles away.
ReplyDeleteThe numbers of moths here are picking up though nothing like the numbers some years ago. As the orchards behind me were turned into an estate I think a lot of the caterpillar food plants have disappeared.