Spotted flycatcher in my garden 

It was the beginning of September 2007 and the autumn migration was in full swing.Carol ,my wife came in from the front garden and mentioned that a Spotted flycatcher was sitting in the pepper tree in the lane.After reaching for my binoculars, I noticed that the bird had been ringed,and so the task of getting some close -up shots of the ring began.

 Three days later and many frustrating moments setting up the scope and camera, only to see the flycatcher either move so it was partly hidden, or fly to yet another branch, became a regular occurrence.At last I did manage to get a few reasonable close -up shots of the ring and could actually make out some of the letters and numbers. 

 After sending some emails to a few acquaintances ,I found out that the flycatcher was probably ringed in Tallinn in Estonia some 1500 miles north of Alacati. I contacted the ringing project concerned but as is the same old story of under- staffing and under -financing did not get a reply. 

 Well, almost a year later, a Black stork - project from Estonia asked if they could use some of my Stork photographs on their forum,so I obliged by sending some and mentioned the ringed Spotted flycatcher in my garden last autum.Lo and behold ,the biologist running the stork project actually knew the guy who was in charge of the ringing project and forwarded my flycatcher pictures to his friend. Within two days I had received a reply thanking me for the pictures and the info on the bird. I  was told , Yes, it was an adult flycatcher and was ringed on the 22nd of June 2007,  just over 6 weeks prior to it arriving in my garden ~ great news !!!! 

 I am now waiting for the full report containing all the data on the bird which I will be able to put alongside the pictures taken of this very interesting and quite tame bird . I just wonder ,will it come back again this year.Now that would be something special would'nt it !!