Colour-ringed Godwits at Manor Farm (Part 2) - April 2014

Following on from my last post about the three black-tailed godwits I saw at Manor Farm Country Park, this week I received the information on each bird. Thanks to Pete Potts and Bodvar for sending the information through so quickly. Two of the three birds were ringed on the south coast of England, one on Thorney Island, West Sussex and the other at The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trusts Farlington Marshes reserve in Hampshire; the third was ringed in Iceland as a chick. In order to differentiate the birds I thought it best to re-publish the same photos, with a summary of their respective life histories below.

G//L+R

G//L+R was first ringed as a nestling, one of a brood of two, in north west Iceland in June 2003. Since then it has been re-sighted on 55 occasions in both Iceland and the UK. A summary of the sightings is provided below;

2003 - After ringing it was re-sighted seven times in north west Iceland.

2004 - There were only three sighting in 2004, all from Southampton Water, Hampshire, UK with one in February, March and April.

2005 - There were two sightings from north west Iceland, one in July and one in August.

2006 - There were 14 sightings in this year from both England and Iceland. In February there were two sightings from Titchfield Haven, Hampshire, UK but between May and August there were nine sightings in north west Iceland. Three further sightings, one in September and two in October, were made from Warsash, Hampshire UK.

2007 - There were five sightings this year, three in March from Titchfield Haven and the River Hamble in Hampshire, UK one from north west Iceland in May and a further sighting from the River Hamble, Hampshire in September.

2008 - This year was another good year with 11 sightings made, all from the UK. The majority of the sightings were from the River Hamble and Warsash, with three in the early part of the year, January, March and April and seven in September and October. There was one sighting from Pagham Harbour, West Sussex, UK in November.

2009 - There were only three sightings in this year, one in January on the River Hamble, Hampshire UK, one from north west Iceland in April and one Warsash in the latter part of the year (November).

2010 - There were only three sightings this year, all from Warsash on the River Hamble, one in April and two in September.

2011 - There were three sightings, all in April and from Iceland. One from west Iceland and two from north west Iceland.

2012 - In early April this bird was seen at Warsash, Hampshire, in May it was back in north west Iceland and in December it was again seen at Warsash on the River Hamble.

2013 - There were no sightings in 2013.

2014 - My sighting on the River Hamble last week has been the only one so far this year.

O+ON

This bird was originally ringed in June 2005 on Thorney Island, West Sussex and has been re-sighted 65 times since ringing. All of the sightings have come from the south coast of England. A summary of sightings is provided below;

2005 - After ringing this bird was re-sighted seven times; the first four sighting were near the ringing site in Emsworth Harbour and on Thorney Island in July and August. In October this bird had moved to the River Hamble, and in December it was recorded at Titchfield Haven.

2006 - It remained at Titchfield Haven where it was again sighted twice in February. There were two further sightings, one in August on the River Hamble and one at Fareham Creek, Portsmouth Harbour in September.

2007 - There were 10 sightings this year, three in January, four in March and one in April all from the River Hamble and Titchfield Haven. In November and December the bird was seen once in each month on the River Hamble.

2008 - The was one sighting in February from the River Hamble. In November and December the bird moved to Portsmouth Harbour, where it was reported four times.

2009 - In April the bird was reported three times from the capture site on Thorney Island, West Sussex. In November it was again reported in Portsmouth Harbour.

2010 - In April 2010 the bird moved to Langstone Harbour, Portsmouth where I was sighted three times. In August it was back on the River Hamble.

2011 - There were nine sightings this year, five between January and April and four between October and December. In the early part of the year the favoured sites were the River Hamble and Southampton Water. In the latter part of the year the bird frequented the River Hamble before moving to Portsmouth Harbour.

2012 - There were only four records this year, all from Portsmouth Harbour, one in January, one in March and two in December.

2013 - There were 14 sighting during March and early April all from Southampton Water.

2014 - There have only been two sightings, including mine, this year, both from the River Hamble.

WA9+OW

This is the oldest of the three birds having originally been ringed at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trusts Farlington Marshes reserve in October 2002. Since then it has been re-sighted 59 times from three countries, the UK, France and Iceland. A summary of sightings in provided below;

2002 - After ringing it was re-sighted at Farlington Marshes 10 days later.

2003 - There were four sightings this year, one from the Avon Valley, Hampshire UK in January, two from the Loire Valley, France in August and then back in the UK at Lymington in the north west Solent in December.

2004 - The were two sightings in the north west Solent in April, and one back at Farlington Marshes in September.

2005 - There were only three sightings this year, all from March. Two were on Thorney Island and one from the north west Solent.

2006 - There were seven sightings this year, one from France in February, one from south west Iceland in July and five from the River Hamble, Hampshire, UK during September and October.  

2007 - In January the bird was reported twice on the Brittany Coast in France, in April it was back on the River Hamble, but in September it was recorded in Kent, UK.

2008 - This year it was recorded initially in April on the River Hamble, then in July it was recorded in Kent, UK, before returning to the River Hamble in September where it was recorded twice in September and once in October.

2009 - There were two sightings in January, both from Western France, there were no further sightings this year.

2010 - There were nine sightings this year, the first was in France in February. There were then five sightings in April on the River Hamble, UK and two and one in August and September, respectively from Kent, UK.

2011 - There were seven sightings this year, two in March and one in April on Southampton Water, then two further sightings in April on the River Hamble. In August this bird was reported in Essex, UK before moving to France where it was reported in October.

2012 - There was only one sighting this year and that was from the Wash in Lincolnshire, UK.

2013 - This bird spent the early part of this year in Hampshire where it was reported on the River Itchen, Southampton and on the River Hamble 11 time between late March and early May.

2014 - The only record this year is mine from the River Hamble in April.

The sightings for these three birds highlight the importance of a providing network of feeding sites throughout their wintering range. According to the BTO website the maximum recorded age for black-tailed godwit is 23 years, 3 months and 21 days, set in 2001.