Movements of a Canada goose



You will have noticed by now that I've tried to add a bit of value to my birding. On days when all that's on offer is usual mixed bag of common birds I've turned my attention to ring reading. With the spectacular increase in the distribution of Canada goose in Gwent coupled with the annual goose ringing round up at Llangorse Lake there's a fair chance a bird carrying a ring will turn up on ones patch.

Back in 2010 a bird did in fact turn up at Cwmbran Boating Lake carrying ring number 5257656. A phone call to Jerry Lewis and email to BTO was enough to determine it was in fact ringed as a first year bird at Llangorse Lake in 2009. Since 2010 I recorded the bird intermittently during 2011 and early 2012 at the Boating Lake. Yesterday whilst going about my weekend duties - before the game - I dropped in to Llantarnam Ponds whereby 5257656 appears to have paired up with an un-ringed bird. Whilst this is just a local movement it illustrates that Llangorse birds are moving into Gwent to fill vacant niches.

Elsewhere yesterday I picked up my first chiffchaff in song close to my home and a colony of about 15 pair of lesser black backed gull and 5 pair of herring gull on an industrial unit at Ty Coch, Cwmbran is worth a check for ringed birds in the not too distant future.