RETURN TO . . . Emsworth Wildlife - Homepage BLACK-TAILED GODWITS NEWS AND SIGHTINGS FOR SEASON 2013-14 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.