A surprising discovery

I was looking out of my study window down onto the suet feeder and the goat willow tree close by, when I was delighted to see two female blackcaps. We’ve had two male and one female blackcaps residing in and round our garden for several months. They seem to leave for part of the year but then regularly return to over winter back here.

I went downstairs to the dining room and changed the lens on the camera to my telephoto. Then after making coffee I thought I’d stand inside and see if I could film the two female blackcaps as they were likely to join the other birds feeding on the suet pellet feeder.

At one point I even opened the doors but it was a bit cold, so I closed them again. Eventually I saw a male blackcap with some long-tailed tits milling about together. Then suddenly I saw the light brown cap on the female's head as it stood on a hanging basket waiting to fly onto the feeder. I grabbed a few shots and then it flew off somewhere.  A male blackcap soon appeared to eat heartily and a female also returned.

I didn’t hang around but went upstairs to do some computer work. When I checked the pictures I’d recorded I was delighted to see I had a good close up of the female blackcap. I zoomed in to the picture and was astonished to see that on its right foot there was a metal ’ring’ with writing stamped into it. I looked through the other pictures and found another image of a female blackcap which didn’t have a ‘ringed’ foot proving there were two females.

But what does the ‘ring’ suggest. Where was it ‘ringed’.? I decided to get as clear an enlarged image as I could generate and then I sent it off to our local ‘GlosterBirder’ website to ask if they could suggest how you can find out more information. 

I’m hoping to get some news before too long. How interesting. I’ve read that many blackcaps come to over winter in Britain from Central Europe, so maybe it was ringed there. I had no idea such small birds would be tagged at all. I shall let you know if I get any news.

I'm adding an 'Extra' of a group of birds on the feeder, with the other female blackcap in the foreground. I think the ringed female might be flying to the feeder with wings spread out in the background of this shot.