A team of 9 met at Harty for the first mist- netting session of the autumn. Conditions were ideal, no moon, light wind, mild temperature and tide covering the intertidal. A total of 59 birds were caught, comprising:
- 23 Redshank plus a retrap from November 2019
- 17 Grey Plover (best catch for about 15 years)
- 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, plus a retrap
- 4 Whimbrel
- 4 Black-tailed Godwit
- 2 Curlew
- 2 Dunlin
- 1 Ruff (male)
Bar-tailed Godwit of subspecies taymyrensisOf particular note were two of the Bar-tailed Godwits. One was ringed at Shellness as an adult female on 10 Nov 2000 so she is at least 26 years old; the other had the pale axillaries typical of the subspecies taymyrensis. Two subspecies visit the Swale -lapponica which arrive in autumn and stay to moult and taymyrensis from Siberia which stop off on The Swale before flying south to moult.
Ten Redshank and the two Black-tailed Godwit were colour ringed and we look forward to receiving sightings.
It was also good to welcome Rod Smith, founding member of Swale Wader Group, back into the field, and two new ringers to the group.
Wader ringing team in action