Wader update

Today was my first colour ringed Godwit sighting of the year in the North Lancs area. This is by my standards very poor! All that being said the Black Tailed Godwit turned out to be an old friend at Leighton. First ringed on the Wash in 2006:

12.08.06	The Wash estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
01.12.06	Leighton Moss, Lancashire, NW England
22.12.06	Leighton Moss, Lancashire, NW England
21.03.07	Leighton Moss, Lancashire, NW England
24.01.08	Marshside, Ribble estuary, Lancashire, NW England
29.03.08	Leighton Moss, Lancashire, NW England
20.04.08	Leighton Moss, Lancashire, NW England

There have been at least two other likely sightings before todays at Morecambe (9th January), Leighton Moss (8th March).

Other recent movements of waders ringed in Morecambe bay are 3 knot ringed in 1998 and 2004 (2) which have been retrapped on the Wash in August and November last year. Once again these show the importance of both the Wash and Morecambe Bay for Knot. Whether these Knot will have returned to the Bay this year or stayed on the East coast we do not know however we do know they will soon begin their migration to arctic Canada either via Iceland or back to the Waddensea, up the coast of Norway and a short hop to Canada from there.

Richard du Feu