Apologies for the terrible pun but I received this recovery report about one of the Goldcrests ringed in Ravensroost Wood in November 2015 and recaptured and recorded at the beginning of March this year in the Scilly Isles.
It’s ring number is JJP007 – and it is clearly as remarkably resilient a bird as its British spy equivalent. For a 5g bird to have survived for 5.5 years, travelling goodness knows how many kilometres in that time and to be recaptured in good condition by another ringer heading out into the Atlantic Ocean is worthy of note.
According to the BTO’s Bird Facts site, the oldest known Goldcrest had survived for 5 years 1 month and 12 days from date of ringing. By my calculation this bird has survived for 5 years 3 months and 17 days from date of ringing, which makes it the oldest known Goldcrest found in the UK.
Given our recoveries of Goldcrests ringed on the Calf of Man in Ravensroost Woods and the Firs in November 2019, and the recovery of one of our group’s Goldcrests ringed in the Firs in October 2019 and then recaptured at Bardsey Bird Observatory in March of last year, this looks like evidence of a western flyway for migrating Goldcrests.
Ringing In The Braydon Forest & Beyond 