The Turnstone And The BTG.

The Turnstone.

Turnstone. Howard Stockdale.

I was delighted to recieve this brilliant image from HS of the equally brilliant Turnstone on Plover Scar at Cockersands just a few days ago, where you can get up close to the waders at high tide. The Turnstone is one of the most attractive of waders in it's stunning breeding plumage, and a bird which is a common winter visitor to our area, and a passage migrant.

Most birds wintering here are from the Greenland and Canadian Arctic breeding populations. A view supported by examples of two birds which were ringed in Lancashire, one recovered in Greenland during the breeding season, the other seen in the Canadian Arctic, similarly, one ringed in the Canadian Arctic was seen at Seaforth in Liverpool.

However, Fennoscandian breeders occur in Britain in autumn, and move on to winter in West Africa, a claim supported by a bird ringed in Finland in 1973 was recovered 12 years later at Banks Marsh in 1985. But a Turnstone longer lived than this one was of a bird ringed in Liverpool in 1977, it was seen 16 years later at the very same location in Liverpool in 1993.

The BTG.

Seeing 700 Black-tailed Godwit last Thursday 17 April close up at Conder Green on the pool, and with two birds ringed as a bonus - with a total of 900 on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock later the same day - was one of those memorable moments which has made my interest in birds and birding the passion it has become today.

OR-YYflag = Orange ring over Red ring left leg Yellow ring over Yellow flag right leg  

Ringed as a chick. OR-YYflag 06.07.12 Holt, Onundarfjordur, NW Iceland

OR-YYflag 02.10.12 Réserve Naturelle du Marais dYves,Yves Charente-Maritime,W France

OR-YYflag 25.10.12 Le platin, Aytre, Charante-Maritime,W France

OR-YYflag 02.11.12 Réserve Naturelle du Marais dYves,Yves,Charente-Maritime,W France

OR-YYflag 14.11.12 Réserve Naturelle du Marais dYves,Yves,Charente-Maritime,W France

OR-YYflag 27.12.12 Fort Royer,Saint-Pierre-d Oléron, Charente-Maritime, W France

OR-YYflag 01.01.13 Boyardville, Ile d Oléron, Charante-Maritme, W France

OR-YYflag 10.01.13 Fort Royer,Saint-Pierre-d Oléron, Charente-Maritime, W France

OR-YYflag 11.01.13 Fort Royer,Saint-Pierre-d Oléron, Charente-Maritime, W France

OR-YYflag 23.01.13 Fort Royer,Saint-Pierre-d Oléron, Charente-Maritime, W France

OR-YYflag 26.01.13 Fort Royer,Saint-Pierre-d Oléron, Charente-Maritime, W France

OR-YYflag 29.01.13 Fort Royer,Saint-Pierre-d Oléron, Charente-Maritime, W France

OR-YYflag 03.03.13 Marais de Landes,Saint Loup, Charente-Maritime, W France

OR-YYflag 14.03.13 Cabane Rouge, Hiers-Brouage, Charente Maritime, W France

OR-YYflag 31.07.13 East Flood, Oare Marshes, Kent, SE England

OR-YYflag 07.08.13 Oare Marshes, East Flood, Swale Estuary, Kent, SE England

OR-YYflag 11.08.13 Oare Marshes, East Flood, Swale Estuary, Kent, SE England

OR-YYflag 15.08.13 Oare Marshes, East Flood, Swale Estuary, Kent, SE England

OR-YYflag 26.08.13 Oare Marshes, East Flood, Swale Estuary, Kent, SE England

OR-YYflag 27.08.13 Oare Marshes, East Flood, Swale Estuary, Kent, SE England

OR-YYflag 30.08.13 Oare Marshes, East Flood, Swale Estuary, Kent, SE England

OR-YYflag 17.09.13 Oare Marshes, East Flood, Swale Estuary, Kent, SE England

OR-YYflag 23.09.13 Oare Marshes, East Flood, Swale Estuary, Kent, SE England

OR-YYflag 24.09.13 Oare Marshes, East Flood, Swale Estuary, Kent, SE England

OR-YYflag 26.09.13 Oare Marshes, East Flood, Swale Estuary, Kent, SE England

OR-YYflag 03.10.13 Oare Marshes, East Flood, Swale, Kent, SE England

OR-YYflag 09.10.13 Oare Marshes, East Flood, Swale, Kent, SE England

OR-YYflag 14.04.14 Glasson Dock,Lune Estuary,Lancashire,NW England. Pete Woodruff.

OR-YYflag 17.04.14 Conder Pool, Conder Green, Lancashire, NW England. Pete Woodruff.

Ringed as a chick. OR-GYflag 06.07.12 Ytri Lambadalur, Dyrafjordur, NW Iceland

OR-GY = Orange ring over Red ring left leg Green ring over Yellow flag right leg

OR-GYflag 07.07.12 Ytri Lambadalur, Dyrafjordur, NW Iceland

OR-GYflag 28.02.13 Sunderland Point, Morecambe Bay, Lancashire, NW England

OR-GYflag 17.04.14 Conder Pool, Conder Green, Lancashire, NW England. Pete Woodruff.

Dyrafjord. Photo Böðvar.

Onundarfjord. Photo Böðvar.

Both these images were taken yesterday 20 April, and are close to where the Black-tailed Godwits are ringed in NW Iceland. I am grateful to Böðvar for supplying me with the histories of this remarkable wader and for the photographs with such speed.