Tagged Yellow-browed Warbler makes appearance in Kent

A Yellow-browed Warbler tagged in the Netherlands was detected on the Motus receiver at Dungeness Bird Observatory, Kent, in the early hours of 20 October.

It represents the first occasion that this species has 'pinged' on (or, in other words, a signal has been received by) a Motus tower in Britain, having been tagged elsewhere.

A Yellow-browed Warbler tagged on Vlieland, the Netherlands, was tracked as it passed Dungeness, Kent, on 20 October (Jack Bucknall).

The bird was originally trapped and tagged on Vlieland, in the Frisian Islands, on 8 October. Signals were received by the Dungeness tower as the bird passed between 1 am and 2am on the morning of 20th.

It follows hot on the heels of another Yellow-browed Warbler, tagged at Ottenby Bird Observatory in southern Sweden on 14 September, that was subsequently picked up by Motus receivers around the German Bight between 26 and 28 September before the bird disappeared off inland into the Netherlands.

Yet another cool #motus registration from our Yellow-browed Warblers! Trapped and tagged at #Ottenby on Sep 14 and then recorded on four different receivers around the German bight September 26-28, before disappearing into the Dutch inland. #birdmigration #animaltracking pic.twitter.com/O2unXluYMa

— Ottenby Bird Observatory (@OttenbyBO) October 20, 2023

Last year, a Goldcrest tagged on Vlieland was tracked as it migrated past Spurn Bird Observatory in East Yorkshire.

Find out more about the Motus Wildlife Tracking System at motus.org. An article on Motus can be read in the July 2022 issue of Birdwatch.