I have just received a recovery report for a Redwing that was ringed at Billinge on 16/10/2016 and had reached northern Spain just 4 days later. It was found in Barakaldo which is just to the northwest of Bilbao and 1132 km south of Billinge, giving it average rate of travel of 283 km per day. It was reported as being found freshly dead but that doesn't mean it reached Spain on the day it was found so the movement could have been even quicker.
RZ37816 Redwing (aged as a first year)
Ringed 16/10/2016 Billinge Hill, near Billinge, Merseyside.
Recovered 20/10/2016 Barakaldo, Vizcaya, Spain. Found freshly dead 1132 km south.
Many thousands of Redwings migrate over Billinge each autumn and I have always been of the opinion that most were likely to be heading for wintering grounds further south in Europe rather than within the UK and this recovery adds weight to that view. It is the 2nd movement of a Redwing from Billinge to Spain in the same autumn with the previous recovery involving a Redwing ringed on 17/10/2014 and found in Fitero, northern Spain, 1272 km south, on 30/11/2014.
Whilst on the subject of Redwings I can now report that I have nearly completed an item on ageing Redwings in autumn. I have decided it merits its own page rather than just appearing as another post so a 'Redwing ageing' tab will appear under the blog header when it is finished and I hit the publish button. So if viewing lots of images of the wings and tails of Redwings is something that could interest you then please look out for the new tab.
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