Donna Nook Twite details

I have now received the following E mail from Andre Raine who is co-ordinating the Twite colour ringing project...

Glad you guys managed to pick up the twite flock at donna - you've bagged
the largest confirmed flock this winter - the others are only at the
30mark. however, there are rumours of a flock of 300 in norfolk which im
hoping to catch up with when i return from kenya.....

info on your sightings (all 2 colour birds are cohort combos. triple
ringed birds will have individual data included):

> Pink/Black white - light hazzles bird ringed in post breeding season 2004.

> Red/ Black white - cant clough bird ringed in post-breed 2004

> Pink/White orange Green/BTO - this bird is a bit of a problem. i had
this bird at walberswick, suffolk, on 11/11/2005. now last year we had
a similar incident, around this time, with 2 birds at walberswick flying
the 163km back north to donna nook (and one subsequently heading back
down to walberswick later in the winter) - i have no idea why!!
anyways, are you guys SURE this is the correct combo as there is a
Pink/w-o bto/dark green combo as well, so it could possibly be mixed up.
pete said he was sure of it - if you can confirm then we will accept it
and this will be the third odd-ball winter movement of a s pennines
twite!!

> White/Pink black BTO - no idea what this is, as there are no white/pink
or pink/black spilt rings (at least none we use). there is a pulli
combo white/pink darkblu/bto, but that doesnt appear to be what youve
written. also, of course combos of white/black pink and pink
black/white.....

> Red/White orange - bird ringed at cant clough in postbreed 2005

> Red/Blue orange - bird ringed at c clough in postbreed 2003

> Red/Yellow - one of the old school! bird ringed at c clough in prebreed
2003, making it a contender for the oldest known twite. any birds w
this combo at the beginning of next year will beat the longevity record
for this species....

> Dark blue/Orange Green/BTO - great resighting! bird ringed in the nest
at cupwith moor in 2004, wintered in donna nook last year as well (in
fact i think it was you guys who found it there last winter!). shows
winter site fidelity.

> White black/Pink - bird ringed in postbreed 2005 at light hazzles

> Red/White orange - BTO/Black white - bird ringed as a 3female (first
year bird) at c clough on 05/08/05. not seen since.

so, great stuff! cheers for going to have a look at them - i will try to
come along on your next foray in the new year. and please do pass this on
to local birders - we would really like to get people to check these
flocks as regularly as poss to get a handle on how long birds are staying
at wintering sites and if there is any between site movement in the winter
(ie the weird donna-walberswick connection).

I need to double check the Pink/White orange Green/BTO bird with Andy and Iain but as far as I remember this was correct. Not sure what has happened with the White/Pink black BTO perhaps we were mistaken with this bird or I misinterpreted what someone called out. I am sure the Andy and Iain will agree that birds feeding in Sea Aster were difficult to get good views of!

Nick