Rare bird shot by Russian

For twitchers on the south coast, it has been one of the highlights of their calendar every year since 1991.

The arrival of a rare wading bird, regular as clockwork every summer, never fails to send a frisson of excitement through the bird-watching community.

This year, like any other, they were eagerly awaiting the arrival of Greenshank DN86741, who has spent eight months of every year in and around Southampton and Portsmouth since 1991.

But what arrived was not their old friend.

Instead, a letter landed on the doormat at the British Trust for Ornithology ( BTO), which has been following the progress of the bird since it was tagged in 1991. Sent by a Russian professor, the letter contained some devastating news: for reasons unknown, he has shot the bird.

Having bagged the greenshank, the biologist spotted the tag and decided that the least he could do was let it be known that the bird is now an ex-greenshank.

Mark Grantham, of the BTO ringing unit, said: "He gave no explanation for shooting the bird but it may have been for research. It's sad - but at least we are learning more about the lives of these remarkable birds."

Greenshank DN86741 - scientific name tringa nebularia - had his wings eternally clipped at the remote Chupa Kandalaksha Bay on the White Sea in northwest Russia, near the border with Finland.

But although he flies no more, his memory will live on. The fact that he managed to fly 1,600 miles to Russia has astonished the experts.

Mr Grantham added: "In 95 years of bird-ringing in Britain and Ireland, there have been only 49 recoveries of greenshank from foreign shores - and this is the first from Russia."

And Peter Potts, of Farlington Ringing Group, Portsmouth - where the greenshank was first ringed on 6 October 1991 - led the tributes.

"Our birdwatchers will be excited, if a bit sad, to hear that we produced the BTO's first Russian greenshank report," he said.

Greenshank breed from Scotland across Scandinavia and northern Europe into Russia and Kazakhstan. Most European greenshank winter south of the Sahara but a small but increasing number, estimated at around 1,400 - spend winter in Britain, the vast majority on the south coast.

The greenshank usually arrives in the UK in August, and sees out the winter here by feasting on any worms, snails and fish he can lay his upturned bill on.