Sunday 23 August 2015

The other godwits

Things have been fairly quiet since the Hudsonian Godwit a month ago. Not that surprising really as we generally don't get many American waders here until the second week of September. There was a juvenile Black-tailed Godwit keeping company with a juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit out on Omey Strand during the week. Black-tailed Godwits are very scarce in Connemara and I'm lucky to see one a year on passage. Only a handful of Bar-tailed Godwits winter here. Despite some record numbers of Ruff in other parts of Ireland this autumn I've yet to see one here in Connemara yet this year. There seem to be good numbers of common waders at the usual spots though which included my first juvenile Sanderling  of the year at Omey on Thursday. I had a colour ringed Sanderling there on 27th July that was originally ringed at Punta Balea, Cangas, Spain on 11th September 2011. It has also been seen on Tiree, Scotland by John Bowler on 6th May 2014 and in Gardskagi, Reykjanes peninsula, Iceland on 8th June 2014. I haven't seen it since. It probably just dropped in briefly on its way back south to its wintering ground which may well be west Africa? Another regular colour ringed Sanderling which spends the winter at Omey Strand has arrived back. It has wintered here every year since August 2011 having been only ringed in Iceland three months earlier.

Juvenile Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwit

Juvenile Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwit

Juvenile Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwit

Juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit

Juvenile Black-tailed Godwit

Juvenile Black-tailed Godwit

Spanish ringed Sanderling


Male Wheatear

Male Wheatear
 

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