Spurn Bird Observatory are part of an international programme monitoring bird migration using nano radio tags. They have just tweeted that on the 20th October a Goldcrest was tagged on Vlieland, an island off the coast of the Netherlands. It was detected the next day, the 21st October at 05:30 at Spurn. The radio tag shows that the bird - a species with an average weight of 5 grams! - made the crossing of the North Sea in less than 8 hours travelling at 44 Kilometers Per Hour or 27mph!!! I think that is amazing for such a tiny bird. I have been at Spurn when there has been a big fall of Goldcrests and it is incredible and, dare I say it, awe inspiring, to see these tiny birds making landfall after crossing the expanse of the North Sea, landing exhausted and frantically feeding to fuel the rest of their journey.
The monitoring is part of the motus wildlife tracking system (motus.org) which has stations across Europe and the Americas.
I think that is amazing for such a tiny bird. I have been at Spurn when there has been a big fall of Goldcrests and it is incredible and, dare I say it, awe inspiring, to see these tiny birds making landfall after crossing the expanse of the North Sea, landing exhausted and frantically feeding to fuel the rest of their journey.
The monitoring is part of the motus wildlife tracking system (motus.org) which has stations across Europe and the Americas.