YOG and ROL

Just a short post to update all on the latest of two of our Black-tailed Godwits which are currently on the Exe Estuary...

YOG

Yellow Orange Green was reported to the group by an email from Colin Selway. This photo was taken by Colin of YOG on Exminster Marshes on 26/10/11.

YOG - Exminster Marshes 26/10/11 (c) Colin Selway

YOG was ringed at Seaton Marshes on 5/3/11, and was still present on the Axe Estuary on 10/3/11. However on 22/4/11 YOG was sighted feeding in a stubble field in Western Iceland, at Melasveit, Borgarfjarðarsýsla by Jenny Gill, Graham Appleton and Jose Alves.


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This is the first sighting of YOG since the Iceland record - good to know he/she has made the journey back south safely. Since being ringed, YOG has flown at least 2300 miles.

ROL

Red Orange Lime was spotted at Bowling Green Marsh by Ian Waite on 14/11/11. ROL was also ringed on 5/3/11, and was seen on a later date further north - but not as far north as YOG! ROL was seen on 29/4/11 at South Ronaldsay, Orkney by Morris Rendall.


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Like YOG this was the first autumn sighting of ROL. It will be interesting to learn whether these birds spend the whole of the winter on the Exe Estuary.

Colyford Common and Stafford Marsh - 10/11/11

This mist netting session was planned to take place in and around the crop field, but due to the potential threat of rain the decision was made to operate around the Field Studies Base on Stafford Marsh, and around the southern end of Colyford Common.

A mist net set besides Stafford Brook - Colyford Common Nov '11 (c) Doug Rudge

Weather: nothing like the forecast! Dry and mild with some sunny spells, cloud cover varying 50 - 80%, still with gentle s w breeze from late morning, excellent visibility.

The conditions ironically turned out to be ideal for mist netting, with no wind and mostly overcast skies. The net by the bird feeders next to the Field Studies Base proved to be the most productive during this session, not a surprise at this time of year.

Trainees extracting birds under the watchful eye of the session leader - Stafford Marsh Nov '11 (c) Doug Rudge

33 birds of 9 species were processed;

3 Robin (all retraps)
2 Dunnock
1 Wren (retrap)
2 Goldcrest (1 retrap)
1 Great Tit
13 Blue Tit (6 retraps)
1 Chaffinch
5 Greenfinch (1 retrap, 1 control)
5 Goldfinch (2 retraps)

Goldcrest F - Stafford Marsh Nov '11 (c) Doug Rudge

The control Greenfinch was first ringed by 'the blogger', in his Seaton garden on 22/7/11. So it's moved 1.3 miles in 111 days - not the most adventurous passerine!