Marked BTG's.

Black-tailed Godwit. Bob Bushell @ BNFOD 

I've been finding excellent numbers of Black-tailed Godwit on the Lune Estuary recently, amongst which I found two marked birds at Cockersands and was more than a little pleased to learn I had seen one of them on two previous occasions. Come July this Black-tailed Godwit will be four years old and will have returned to Iceland probably three times since it was ringed there in 2012, but certainly has twice as the history below shows.

Ringed as a chick 6 July 2012 at Ytri Lambadalur, Dyrafjordur, NW Iceland

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 Green, Lancashire, NW England. P Woodruff

OR-GYflag 25.04.14 Holt, Önundarfjörður, NW Iceland

OR-GYflag 27.04.14 Holt, Önundarfjörður, NW Iceland

OR-GYflag 09.08.14 Leighton Moss, Lancashire, NW England 

OR-GYflag 09.09.14 Allen Pools, Leighton Moss, Lancashire, NW England

OR-GYflag 22.10.14 Leighton Moss, Lancashire, NW England 

OR-GYflag 10.04.15 Lune Estuary, Cockersands, Lancashire, NW England. P Woodruff

OR-GYflag 27.04.15 Grafarvogur, Reykjavík, SW Iceland

OR-GYflag 25.02.16 Cockersand, Lune Estuary, Lancashire, NW England. P Woodruff

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This bird is an amazing 20 years old, but a 25 year old Black-tailed Godwit holds the longevity record soon to become 26 years.

The history for this bird is a lengthy one, so I have omitted multi sightings made in any one month at the same location to make reading easier. The bird has been most seen on the Dee Estuary in Cheshire, but has also been located at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve in Lancashire four times in four years. The bird wasn't re-sighted for 4 years 2001-2005, it went the longest distance twice in 2000 and 2001 to Cley in Norfolk where it's marks were read by an amazing coincidence on the very same date of 22 February in both years.

Ringed 7 September 1998, Holbeach, Wash Estuary, Lincolnshire.

Lime ring over Red ring left leg Yellow ring over White ring right leg. 

24 April 1999 Dee Estuary, Cheshire
14 Aug  1999 Humber Est, Linc's
22 Feb  2000 Cley, Norfolk
04 April 2000 Dee Est
08 July  2000 Breydon Water, Norfolk
02 Dec  2000 Marshside, Ribble Estuary
22 Feb  2001 Cley, Norfolk
01 May  2001 Alftafjorour, E Iceland
16 Aug  2001 Humber Est, Linc's
07 April 2005 Marshside, Ribble Est
22 Dec  2007 Dee Est
24 Jan  2008  Marshside, Ribble Est
18 Feb 2008  Dee Est
19 Apr  2008  Leighton Moss RSPB, Lanc's
03 Dec 2008  Dee Est
02 Jan  2009  Dee Est
06 Feb 2009  Dee Est
06 Mar 2009  Dee Est
13 Nov 2009  Dee Est
02 Dec 2009  Dee Est
12 Jan 2010   Dee Est
01 Feb 2010  Dee Est
14 July 2010  Frampton Marsh, Wash Estuary, Linc's
17 Nov 2011  Dee Est
21 Dec 2011  Gilroy Nature Park, Merseyside
22 Dec 2011  Dee Est
15 Jan  2012  Dee Est
03 Feb 2012  Dee Est
23 Dec 2012  Dee Est
02 Jan  2013  Dee Est
26 Apr  2013  Leighton Moss RSPB, Lanc's
21 Nov 2013  Dee Est
02 Jan 2014  Dee Est
13 Apr 2014  Leighton Moss RSPB, Lanc's
20 Jul  2014  Frampton Marsh, Wash Est, Linc's
13 Au  2014  Frampton Marsh, Wash Est, Linc's
05 Nov 2014 Dee Est
04 Dec 2014 Dee Est
16 Dec 2014 Newton Marsh, Preston, Lanc's
27 Dec 2014 Gilroy Nature Reserve, Merseyside
28 Dec 2014 Dee Est
17 Apr 2015  Leighton Moss RSPB, Lanc's
20 Sep 2015 Freiston Shore, Wash Est, Linc's
22 Nov 2015 Dee Est
01 Jan 2016  Burton Mere, Cheshire
26 Feb 2016 Cockersands, Lanc's P Woodruff   

The people who attended to these two records of colour marked BTG's for me are aware of my appreciation and thanks for the histories they sent me.

Thanks also to Bob for his excellent image of the BTG, every bit as stunning as some of my of birds at Cockersands.