The wader ringing session at Harty over the night of the 17th/18th September was very successful with 87 birds caught. Seven ringers made the team and the weather conditions were good with almost no wind and no moon.
The catch included 82 new birds plus 4 retraps (2 of which were re-ringed given the age of the existing rings - see details of retraps below) and 1 control of a UK ringed Bar-tailed Godwit.
The 82 new birds included:
- Black-tailed Godwit - 22 (all adults)
- Redshank - 22
- Dunlin - 14 (all juveniles)
- Bar-tailed Godwit - 12
- Curlew - 7 (all adults)
- Knot - 2
- Avocet - 1
- Grey Plover - 1
- Ruff - 1
Details of the retraps:
Curlew FP84806 ringed at Harty as an adult female (age code 4F) on 21/10/2006, i.e. nearly 11 years old (3985 days). Biometrics almost identical from ringing to retrapping.
Bar-tailed Godwit DT45512 ringed at Harty as a juvelnile (age code 3) on 3/9/1997, i.e. 20 years and 14 days old (7320 days).
Bar-tailed Godwit DT45520 ringed at Harty as an adult male (age code 4M) on 25/8/1995 i.e. 22 years 24 days old (8060 days). This a now the Swale Wader Group’s longevity record for this species.
Bar-tailed Godwit DD84419 ringed at Harty as a juvenile (age code 3) on 20/9/2009 i.e. nearly 8 years old (2920 days).
The controlled Bar-tailed Godwit was ringed at Snettisham in Norfolk on 5/8/2015 - see here.