Colour Ringed Black-tailed Godwit at Langhus, Iceland John N Murphy
Local birders Stan Nugent and John Murphy travelled to Iceland in July 2009
to make a documentary about the Black tailed Godwits with fellow colleagues,
film maker Jim Wilson and photographer Mark Carmody.
While on location the film crew joined up with British and French Ringers
who travel to Iceland every year under the control of Pete Potts ,
to colour ring Black-tailed Godwit chicks in conjunction with the Icelandic
Ringing Scheme run by Tómas Gunnarsson.
Jim Wilson & John Murphy are both qualified bird ringers and both were delighted
to helped out in the trapping and colour ringing of these stunning waders.
A flock of 29 adult birds were trapped through cannon netting at Siglufjordur
in Northern Iceland and the team also caught over 80 chicks for colour ringing
during a three week period in July 2009.
Black-tailed Godwit Ringing Squad 2009 in Iceland (better known as the GODSQUAD)
Back Row Left to Right: Ruth Croger, Stan Nugent, Pete Potts, John Murphy,
Guillaume Gelianaud & Mark Carmody.
Front Row Left to Right: Elizabeth & David Price, Jim Wilson.
During our trip to Iceland we met with the local National School pupils, teacher
and parents of Siglurfjordur ,who have been in contact with Scoil Iosaef Naofa in Cobh,
County Cork. With the encouragement of Jim Wilson these two schools have come together
to share information through the media of the internet, sharing information on the movements
of godwits between Iceland and Ireland over the last few years.
(see the following link for details www.scoiliosaefnaofa.com/GodwitLates.htm).
Guony Róbertsdóttir second from the left with her pupils and the Black-tailed Godwit
Ringing Team, after a cannon netting session at Siglurfjordur Iceland in July 2009.
Monday 10th August 2009
There were for colour ringed birds at the Shannon Airport Lagoon.
1. Left Leg: Yellow over Orange. Right Leg: Orange over White ring with letter X in black .
2. Left Leg: Orange over Red. Right Leg: Green over Red Flag.
3. Left Leg: Orange over White. Right Leg: Yellow over White ring with letter X in black .
4. Left Leg: Yellow over Lime. Right Leg: Orange over White ring with letter X in black .
Wednesday 5th August 2009
There were two colour banded birds at the Shannon Airport Lagoon today.
1. Left Leg: Yellow over Lime. Right Leg: White over White ring with letter X in black (see details below).
2. Left Leg: Yellow over Green. Right Leg: Red over Yellow.
Sunday 2nd August 2009
John Murphy found five colour ringed Black-tailed Godwits within a flock of 1,300 birds
at Dernish Island, Shannon Airport Lagoon IR 37867 59249.
The details were as follows:
1. Left Leg: Green over Red Flag. Right Leg: Green over Green.
History File
This bird was first ringed as a well developed chick close to Langhus at Gautland,
Fljot (junction Roads 76 & 789), SW of Siglurfjordur, North Iceland on 16th July 2007.
2009: On 16th February 2009 the bird was seen at Bullock Island, Shannon Harbour, County Offaly.
This was the only other sighting of the bird outside of Iceland before it turned up at the lagoon.
2. Left Leg: Yellow over Lime. Right Leg: White over White ring with letter X in black.
History File
This bird was first ringed as an adult male at Vogaleakur, Myrar, Western Iceland on 18th April 2003.
It was last recorded in Iceland at this same site on the 25th April 2003.
2003: 14th of December 2003 it turned up at the Little Brosna Callows in County Offaly.
2004: 23rd April 2004 it was back on the breeding grounds in Iceland at Langárós, Myrar, West Iceland.
2005: 9th August 2005 the bird was at the Shannon Airport Lagoon, County Clare.
2006: 23rd April 2006 the bird was back at Vogaleakur, Myrar, Western Iceland.
25th April 2006 the bird had moved to Álftarós , Myrar, West Iceland.
2008: The bird was not recorded again until the 17th January 2008, where it was seen
near Moita Boavista, Tagus Estuary, Western Portugal.
30th April 2008, the bird had returned to its breeding grounds at Alftafjordur,
Sudar-Mulasysla, Eastern Iceland.
3. Left Leg: White over Red. Right Leg: Green over Orange.
History File
This was a bird ringed as an adult near Reykjavik on 22nd July 2002.
2002: The bird was last seen in Iceland on the 27th July at Vallá, Kjalarnes, South West Iceland.
On 6th September it turned up in the Shannon Airport Lagoon, Clare.
2003: The next sighting of this bird was on 22nd October at Reserve Naturelle du Marais d’Yves,
Charente-Maritime, Western France.
By the 9th December the bird had moved to Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, Western France.
2004: On 26th April this bird was back in Western Iceland at Langárós, Myrar, where it remained till 26th May.
On 20th July it was at Kidfell, Kjós, South West Iceland.
By 29th October the bird had turned up back Reserve Naturelle du Marais d’Yves,
Charente-Maritime, Western France.
2005: The bird was back at Myrar, Hvalvogur, Western Iceland on 22nd April.
It was not seen again until the 3rd November where it had made its way back to Port-De- Barques,
Ile Madame, Charente-Maritime, Western France.
2007: The bird was next found on 9th September at Blanket Nook, Donegal, Ireland.
2008: On 2nd April it was at Newton Lane, Little Brosna Callows, County Offaly.
On 21st September it was found at Rahasane Turlough, Galway.
4. Left Leg: Yellow over Green. Right Leg: Red over Yellow.
Two colour banded Black-tailed Godwits were seen feeding amongst
a flock of 310 birds, on the north shore of Ballyallia Lake Ennis.
The two birds were wearing the following colour band combinations.
Bird 1: Right Leg Green over Red Flag – Left Leg Green over orange.
Bird 2: Right Leg White over Red Flag – Green over orange.
This is the 3rd re-sighting of these birds. The previous two sightings were
on the 11th & 17th January 2008 at Gortnorabeey, Crossmolina, County Mayo.
Astrid Kant holding the two birds that turned up at Ballyallia Lake as she ringed
them on the nest on 8th July 2007 at Kluffufell/Gillastadir in North West Iceland.
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