Bird Ringing

Puffin ringing - bill biometrics been taken

Shag 'darvic' ring (readable in the field)

Night time Storm Petrel ringing

Thursday 1st March comments: Just like many other seabird reserves, the Farne Islands has an important bird ringing scheme in operation, led by Dr Chris Redfern, myself and the ranger team on the islands. During the summer months, a range of scientific data is collected from Arctic Tern biometrics to Puffin weights and Shag wing lengths. This data collected feeds into a national database organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Over the years some interesting results have been produced and this winter was no different, as Farne ringed birds have been reported far and wide. Some of the highlights reported this winter include:

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  Shag chick ringed on Brownsman in 1982 was found dead in Eastbourne, East Sussex in September 2011 (an unusual southerly movement for this species)


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  Shag chick ringed on Staple Island on 12 June 1981 was found dead in Fife on 16 June 2011 - this exceeds the current UK longevity record for a Shag by just over a month


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  Puffin ringed on Brownsman in 1981 was found locally in Northumberland in April 2011


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  Fulmar chick ringed on Brownsman in August 2010 was recovered dead on the shoreline at Texel, Holland after a period of violent weather on 25 May 2011


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  Other interesting news has included reports of three Kittiwakes discovered breeding elsewhere having been ringed on the Farnes. These sites included Isle of Scilly, Anglesey and Denmark!


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  Ringed Plover ringed as a chick on Brownsman in June 2010 was recovered at Beadnell on 30 April 2011 as a result of predation by a Gull.