Colour-ringing
information .
. . Godwits
season 2012-13
. . . Godwits
season 2011-12
.
. . Spurting
behaviour .
.
Link
to list of all colour-ringed Godwits recorded in
Emsworth in 2013-14
. . .
FRIDAY
DECEMBER 6 - 2013
Nore
Barn
I counted 104
Black-tailed Godwits roosting on the saltmarshes
at the top of Nore Barn Creek. I am not sure if this
is a regular high water roost. Most were either
resting on one leg or in water, but I picked out 3
regular colour-ringed birds: G+BG, G+WR and W+WN.
TUESDAY
NOVEMBER 19 - 2013
Nore
Barn
15:00 - Tide falling
from high water at 12 noon. The best birds of the
afternoon were the Black-tailed Godwits which
progressively gathered in the Nore Barn Creek as the
tide fell. I pitched my scope in front of the wooden
seat installed in memory of my friend John Mant who
died in 2011. Nice to think of him here, if only in
memory. I counted a total of 98 in the flock which
included at least 5 colour-ringed birds:
G+WR - A mega regular
in Emsworth since Sep-08. 12th sighting here this
season.
L+RG - Only one
previous sighting in Emsworth on 04-Nov-11.
R+GL - Fairly regular
in Emsworth since 10-Sep-10. 2nd sighting here this
winter. PHOTO
R+RN - Only two
previous sightings in Emsworth on 16-Jul-12 and
17-Jul-12.
R+YN - 6th sighting
here this winter. PHOTO
WEDNESDAY
NOVEMBER 6 - 2013
I counted 96 Godwits
feeding busily on the edge of the rising tide, about
60 less than yesterday's total. As most of them were
in water I was only able to check about half of them
for colour-rings: The ones I saw were all regulars:
G+WR, R+YN, W+WN, WO+LW flag.
Colour-ringed
Black-tailed Godwit - WO+LW flag - feeding with
friends
TUESDAY
NOVEMBER 5 - 2013
A large flock of
Black-tailed Godwits came swirling down onto the
mudflats off Nore Barn at about 09.30, a great sight
indeed. I counted 168 which is the largest number here
so far this winter, in fact, the largest number since
187 on 29-Oct-11. I found 6 colour-ringed birds among
them, though there could have been others as many of
the birds were up to their bellies in water. All were
regulars this winter: G+BG, G+WR, R+YN, W+WN, WO+LW
flag, ROL+RLR.
WEDNESDAY
OCTOBER 23 - 2013
EMSWORTH
HARBOUR
11:30 - 12:30 - Tide
rising to high water at 14:45. An incredibly strong SW
wind was blowing into my face while cycling along
Western Parade towards Nore Barn.
Black-tailed
Godwits
104 were feeding and
roosting on the edge of the rising tide at Nore Barn
with some handsome male Wigeon mixed in with them.
They included 9 colour-ringed birds. Four regular
Emsworth godwits. The rest first timers.
G+BG - Regular in
Emsworth since Sep 2010. 3rd sighting this season.
G+WR - Regular in
Emsworth since Jul 2009. 6th sighting this season.
WO+LW flag - Regular
in Emsworth since Nov 2010. 2nd sighting here this
season.
ROL+RLR - Regular in
Emsworth since Oct 2009. 4th sighting here this
season.
O+OG - First sighting
in Emsworth since Jan 2006. Seems to have been a
Fishbourne - Bosham regular since then.
B+RN - This is my
first ever record of this bird.
R+LG - This is my
first ever record of this bird. It could possibly be
O+LG.
R+OG - Previously seen
by Peter Milinets-Raby at Warblington on 17-Oct-13.
This is the first sighting in Emsworth.
R+OY - This is my
first ever record of this bird.
WEDNESDAY
OCTOBER 16 - 2013
EMSWORTH
HARBOUR (east) 14:30
- 15:30 - Viewing from the millpond seawall. About 4
hours after high water. Conditions were good with a
bright sun from behind, but a strong wind.
A good flock of 78
Black-tailed Godwits was close in on the near side
of the channel, a few were feeding, but most were
snoozing while standing on one leg. They only moved
once in the hour I was there, but as that was to
change legs, it gave me the chance to check for
colour-rings. I managed to read four combinations, all
are Emsworth regulars and have been previously seen
this season. L+LL - G+BG - R+YN - RLR+ROL (Kent
ringed).
GODWIT NEWS
Kent
sightings
Dudley Hird reports
there are over 3,000 Black-tailed Godwits on the three
main sites around the Kent estuaries at present. Some
of the colour-ringed Godwits that have been recorded
this autumn in Emsworth Harbour have also been seen in
Kent. The first two clearly dropped into Kent on the
way here. The third one was a maverick and went the
other way!
ROL-RLR was in Kent on
6-Oct-2013 and in Emsworth 8 days later on
14-Oct-13
W+WN was in Kent on
5-Aug-2013 and in Emsworth on 26-Sep-13.
L+LN went the other
way as it was in Emsworth on 27-Aug-13 and was seen a
month later in Kent on 25-Sep-2013. I recall Godwits
in the past flying to and from Kent on occasions.
Farlington
ringing
There was a successful
colour-ringing session at Farlington Marshes yesterday
(October 15). In total, Pete Potts and his team caught
and ringed around 90 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Shoveler,
3 Knot, 12 Redshank, 2 Dunlin, 14 Teal and a
Bar-tailed Godwit. So, there will be a few more
colour-ringed Godwits to look out for locally. For the
full report along with some photos go to . . .
http://solentreserves.wordpress.com/
MONDAY
October 14 2013
Nore Barn -
about 10 Black-tailed Godwits settled on the
saltmarshes on the far side of the channel. and some
came onto the mudflats to feed of which one was
colour-ringed:
OY+LR - Ringed
as a chick in Iceland in July 1999 which makes it 14
years old! It has been seen fairly regularly in
Emsworth Harbour since 2004, usually early in the
winter season (Aug-Dec) with a total of 33 sightings.
First sighting this season.
Eastern harbour -
11:45 - 12:30 - From The Fishermans outlook I got
a very good view of a flock of 132 Black-tailed
Godwits on the town shore. Most were snoozing on one
leg, but some were feeding on the edge of the channel.
I went through most of them for colour-rings and found
the following two combinations - first sighting this
season, but fairly regular visitors in previous
winters.
LY+RO - Ringed
in Iceland as a breeding male in June 2003 which makes
it at least 11 years old. It has been seen in Emsworth
Harbour occasionally since 2003, usually in autumn
(Oct-Nov) with a total of 13 sightings.
ROL+RLR -
Ringed on 27-Oct-08 at Kingsnorth Power Station,
Medway Est. Kent as an adult male. This bird has been
seen very regularly in Emsworth Harbour each winter
since 2009 with a total of 65 sightings. It is also
seen early in the season by Dudley Hird in Kent.
FRIDAY
SEPTEMBER 27 - 2013 -
Emsworth
Harbour
10:30 - 11:30 - Tide
falling to low water at about 11:00. 48 Black-tailed
Godwits in eastern harbour. I checked about 20 for
colour-rings, found one. L+LL - My second sighting
this season. A regular in Emsworth Harbour since
06-Nov-09.
Here is a digiscoped
image of Black-tailed Godwit L+LL in poor light. Left
leg has lime L ring on tibia and red R on tarsus
(ankle). Right leg has two lime rings on tibia. All
Farlington godwits have a red ring on the left tarsus
so that is usually not reported. The photo also shows
the metal BTO ring on the right ankle.
THURSDAY
SEPTEMBER 26 - 2013 -
Emsworth
Harbour (east)
11:30 - 12.30 - Tide
rising to high water at 16:30.
80
Black-tailed Godwits
- two were colour-ringed, both first sightings this
season.
G+GY - Ringed Farlington 14-Sep-05. First
sighting in Emsworth on 27-Oct-06. Seen in most
winters in Emsworth Harbour, but not a mega regular.
This was my 13th sighting in Emsworth.
W+WN - Ringed 05-Sep-10 Farlington Marshes.
First seen in Emsworth Harbour the following month on
18-Oct-10. It was a mega regular in Emsworth in winter
2011-12 with 41 sightings. But I only saw it once last
winter on 17-Jul-12.
WEDNESDAY
SEPTEMBER 25 - 2013
EMSWORTH
HARBOUR 12:30
- Eastern harbour. About 3 1/2 hours to high water.
Viewing from the millpond seawall.
I counted 52
Black-tailed Godwits resting on the edge of the
channel. They included three colour-ringed birds:
G+WR - 4th sighting this season. A very regular
wintering bird in Emsworth Harbour since Sep-08.
G+BY - This was the first sighting this season.
First seen in Emsworth on 23-Nov-10. Not seen at all
in Emsworth last winter.
L+LL - This was the first sighting this season.
First seen in Emsworth on 06-Nov-09. Regular in
2011-12, but seen only once in 2012-13.
MONDAY
SEPTEMBER 23 - 2013
EMSWORTH
HARBOUR
11:00 - 11:30 -
Emsworth Harbour (east) Tide rising. 65 Black-tailed
Godwits including two colour-ringed birds.
O+WL - First sighting this season. Seen 5 times last
winter from 25-Sep to 19-Nov.
G+WR - Second sighting this season. Ringed at
Farlington on 10Sept08 as ad male. Seen regularly each
winter in Emsworth Harbour since then.
12:00 - 12:30 - On the
western mudflats: 146 Black-tailed Godwits - the
largest count so far this season. I suspect these
included those I previously saw in the eastern harbour
which would by this time be full of water.
Godwit
with attached shell
From the millpond
seawall I spotted a Black-tailed Godwit with a shell
of some sort attached to it right foot.
I recall Tony Wootton
photographing a Dunlin with a similar problem on the
Norfolk coast a few years ago. Tony consulted the RSPB
who told him that this was not uncommon in wading
birds feeding on the shore where shellfish were
feeding. They said the shell would eventually come off
when the creature got hungry and released its grip.
WEDNESDAY
SEPTEMBER 18 - 2013
- EMSWORTH
HARBOUR
I arrived on the
millpond seawall at about 3pm with the tide falling,
though still fairly well in. A small group of 16
Black-tailed Godwits were feeding on the town shore,
but there were no colour-ringed birds. The group
included three juveniles, which have a pale cinnamon
wash over the neck and breast and neat warm buff
fringes to the brownish upperpart feathers. They stand
out clearly from the adults.
SEPTEMBER
1 - 2013 - Godwit
News from Iceland
Pete Potts said the
Black-tailed Godwits had a mixed breeding season in
Iceland. Cold winds in April/May delayed arrival and
then cold weather with lingering snow esp. in the
north of Iceland with snow still laying thickly in
late May. The godwits in the south of Iceland seem to
have done badly but in the north they have done well.
Pete was there and marked c.75 godwit chicks and 5
adults.
TUESDAY
AUGUST 27 - 2013 - Emsworth
Harbour
I cycled down to the
harbour this morning to catch the tide before it got
too high. I found 122 Black-tailed Godwits off
the Thorney shore, though most of them were in water,
so could not see legs. I got two colour-ringed birds,
one a regular in Emsworth Harbour over the past 5
years and one seen only once before.
G+WR was ringed
at FM on 10Sept08 as ad male. A regular in Emsworth
Harbour ever winter since then. Total number of
sightings = 85.
L+LN - My only
other sighting of this bird in Emsworth was at Nore
Barn on 10-Nov-10. Here is today's digiscoped bird.
COLOUR
RINGED BLACK-TAILED GODWITS IN EMSWORTH
2013-14
Colour-ringed
Black-tailed Godwits recorded in Emsworth Harbour in
the 2013-14 winter: N=22 (to 19 Nov)
B+RN, G+BG, G+BY,
G+GY, G+WR, L+LL, L+LN, L+RG, LY+RO, O+OG, O+WL, R+GL,
R+GY, R+LG, R+OG , R+OY, R+RN, R+YN, W+WN, OY+LR,
WO+LW flag, ROL+RLR
B+RN -
23-Oct-13 -
This is my first ever record of this bird. Newly
ringed?
G+BG -
Regular in
Emsworth since Sep 2010.
G+BY
- First sighting on 23-Nov-10. Seen infrequently in
Emsworth since then.
G+GY
Ringed Farlington
14-Sep-05. First sighting in Emsworth on 27-Oct-06.
Seen in most winters in Emsworth Harbour, but not a
mega regular.
G+WR
Regular in Emsworth
since Jul 2009.
L+LL
L+LN
My only other sighting
of this bird in Emsworth was at Nore Barn on
10-Nov-10
L+RG
19-Nov-13. Only one
previous sighting in Emsworth on 04-Nov-11.
O+OG
O+WL
Seen 5 times last
winter from 25-Sep to 19-Nov.
R+GL
Fairly regular in
Emsworth since 10-Sep-10
R+LG
Not seen before this
year.
R+OG
R+OY ?
R+RN
19-Nov-13 - Only two
previous sightings in Emsworth on 16-Jul-12 and
17-Jul-12.
R+YN
Only one other
Emsworth sighting on 20-Nov-10.
OY+LR
Ringed as a chick in
Iceland in July 1999 which makes it 14 years old! It
has been seen fairly regularly in Emsworth Harbour
since 2004, usually early in the winter season
(Aug-Dec)
WO+LW
flag
Regular in Emsworth
since Nov 2010.
ROL+RLR
Regular in Emsworth
since Oct 2009.