W/R (White/Red) was initially ringed as G110W/OR as a chick in 1992, on Texel. She lost her green ring with stripes (G110) already shortly after ringing, and therefore became known as “WOR” (W/OR). In 2016, she also lost the orange ring (O). WOR has been observed 982 times during her life. She spends the winter in Ensenada de O Grove (a tidal area along the westcoast of Spain, in Galicia) where Miguel Lorenzo observed her every single winter, and breeds on Schiermonnikoog, where she was observed nearly every summer, first by Otto Overdijk, later by Tamar Lok and Petra de Goeij.

Based on resightings along the migration route, WOR usually migrated in one go during autumn from the Lauwersmeer to her wintering site in western Spain, but during spring migration, she regularly stopped along the French coast, at Marais de Séné (which became famous because of Sinagote) and the Seine estuary.

Last autumn, Ernesto Villodas spotted her in Santoña marshes (Cantabria, Spain) and made some beautiful photos:

Already then, she broke the world record of oldest spoonbill, being 29,5 years old. This spring, on 29 April 2022, she was again photographed, this time by Jose Manuel Mouriño Piñeiro, along the Lagoa da Frouzeira (Galicia, Spain), in breeding plumage, at the age of now nearly 30 years old!

She probably visited Ensenada de O Grove in the meantime. She was not seen on Schiermonnikoog in 2021, despite good resighting efforts in the colony. Maybe she is retired, spending her old days in Spain, or maybe we accidently missed her, and she will actually be returning to the breeding area in the coming weeks! Keep an eye open for this very old and strong woman!