Godwits with bling

 WOW has been really good over the past couple of weeks. As well as all the usual suspects we have had pintail, goldeneye, grey wagtail, Mediterranean gulls and ruff. We had 9 species of duck and 6 species of waders. There is also birdsong in the reserve and things are looking and sounding very springlike. We have had at least 4 different godwits with rings. The first two spotted had been ringed at WOW in April 2021 when the reserve was still closed due to lockdown. We re-sighted one of these plus two new ones. Hopefully we will find out their history in the fullness of time. 

Blue/black & triple orange

Colouring up nicely

Grey wagtail still around

Green/blue and triple orange

Two of these guys

Headless shoveler

I finally found a curlew on the coastal path on a very low tide and also managed a water pipit near Portavogie. A quick look for chiffchaffs at Oxford Island failed but did turn up some nice pochard and 40+ great crested grebes including some nifty head shaking and dancing. 

The garden is slowly emptying of birds and the feeders are not being topped up daily, more like weekly. The female siskin popped in today and the blackcap was there last week but has not been seen recently. Hopefully back to Germany fuelled up by expensive suet pellets, fat balls and kibbled peanuts. Today we had singing dunnock, wren and blackbird so things are on the move. 

2022

116: Water pipit

North Down

50: Curlew

Belfast RSBB

62: Mediterranean gull