Earlier this summer, while watching Spoonbills at Frampton Marsh RSPB, I noticed one with a distinctive green leg ring. A closer look through the scope revealed a unique code — and thanks to the magic of bird ringing schemes and some online research, I was able to trace this bird’s fascinating journey.
This Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) was ringed in Denmark as a chick unable to fly, on June 10, 2023, in the Ringkøbing Fjord area, along Denmark’s west coast. It was part of a monitoring scheme run by Nordvestjysk Ringmærkergruppe, with ringing data managed by Copenhagen Zoological Museum.
Fast forward to June 2025, and I recorded this bird at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire — 747 days and over 630 km away from its birthplace.
From the ringing report and subsequent records, here’s what we now know about this individual:
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2023: Ringed in Høje Sande, Denmark, as a chick
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2023/2024: Wintered in Cornwall, a known wintering site for Spoonbills in the UK
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2024: Spotted at Cowbit Washes, a location that was flooded following unprecedented rainfall — providing temporary, ideal habitat for wetland birds
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2024 Summer: Seen at Frampton Marsh RSPB
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2025 Summer: Back at Frampton, still in good health
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