One of the pleasures of spring birding in the LDBWS area is the chance to find a colour-ringed bird among the large number of Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit passing through the area. This afternoon I found one such bird among 355 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit and 105 Knot roosting at Conder Pool.
The godwit had been ringed in NW Iceland as a chick in July 2012. I last saw this bird at Sunderland Point on 6/10/13, but it has proven to a regular visitor to NW England, mainly in spring and autumn, with records from various sites, including Leighton Moss, Cockersands, Lytham Jetty, Crossens Marsh, Marshside and Hale Lighthouse on the Mersey Estuary.
Well worth checking the legs on any godwits you may encounter.
Pete C
