It's Whimbrel time!
Look out for flocks of Icelandic birds, especially in Ireland and western Britain.
While some birds can fly sraight from west Africa to Iceland, many stop off.
The timing of migration is remarkably consistent:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/07/02/w...
#ornithology

Did you know?
There was a big increase in GB winter Curlew numbers after hunting stopped in 1982.
wadertales.wordpress.com/2022/04/21/c...
Blog from 21 April 2022 to mark World Curlew Day 🎂4️⃣
Sadly, numbers have dropped in last 25 years.
#ornithology

It's World Curlew Day.
Time to remember extinct curlew species:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2024/12/12/l...
Time to try to make a difference for Eurasian Curlew in the UK:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2021/06/12/m...
Time to buy a wonderful book:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/c...
#birds

Thank you.
Portugal is a great place to spend the winter but most Black-tailed Godwits don't know that the country exists.
More here:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/11/18/o...
Very old pic of @joseaalves.bsky.social

Did you know?
There was a big increase in GB winter Curlew numbers after hunting stopped in 1982.
wadertales.wordpress.com/2022/04/21/c...
Blog from 21 April 2022 to mark World Curlew Day 🎂4️⃣
Sadly, numbers have dropped in last 25 years.
#ornithology

It's World Curlew Day.
Time to remember extinct curlew species:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2024/12/12/l...
Time to try to make a difference for Eurasian Curlew in the UK:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2021/06/12/m...
Time to buy a wonderful book:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/c...
#birds

Great sighting.
A flock of Black-tailed Godwits lands on the east coast of Scotland. Migration is paused.
Blog about when and why this happens:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/03/21/w...
#BirdingScotland

Stunning pic!
Black-tailed Godwits pairs don't winter together - they're often in different countries.
Somehow, the male and female manage to synchronise their return to their breeding site.
If one bird is late 'divorce' can occur.
More here:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/02/09/b...
#ornithology

Waiting for the wind – spring flocks of Black-tailed Godwit in Scotland When a flock of Black-tailed Godwit turns up on a Scottish island or lochside, in April or May, it’s probably a sign that the birds have aborted the Atlantic crossing to Iceland. On 24 Februa…

Agreed! Top birds.
This may be of interest:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/03/21/w...

Nice. I hope that it's OK that I have quote reposted.

Great pics of a Black-tailed Godwit flock on Lewis.
Colour-ring sightings of birds pausing migration in Scotland are really valuable.
Blog about birds that stop in Scotland:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/03/21/w...
#BirdingScotland
Sightings to @jengill.bsky.social please.

With wader flocks on the move, do you ask yourself questions like:
"How does an individual bird decide which flock to join?"
Insights from tracking Curlew:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2021/08/25/t...
#ornithology

With World Curlew Day fast approaching (21 April), here's a reminder of a recent blog about Slender-billed Curlew (and Pacific Golden Plover):
wadertales.wordpress.com/2026/03/09/s...
There are 14 other curlew blogs in the #WaderTales catalogue:
wadertales.wordpress.com/about/
#ornithology

Few people were talking about Curlew on this day ten years ago, when Mary Colwell set off on a 500-mile walk to chart the decline of this iconic species.
She wrote 'Curlew Moon':
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/c...
And set up @curlewaction.bsky.social charity
A Curlew hero!
#ornithology

Few people were talking about Curlew on this day ten years ago, when Mary Colwell set off on a 500-mile walk to chart the decline of this iconic species.
She wrote 'Curlew Moon':
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/c...
And set up @curlewaction.bsky.social charity
A Curlew hero!
#ornithology

Yes. Quite closely related.

More Snipe news!
Very few Icelandic Snipe winter in England (wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/09/20/s...)
This tagged bird left Cornwall at 7pm on 13th April and arrived in Iceland 16 hours later.
Info from @tomasgunnarsson.bsky.social & @joseaalves.bsky.social
#ornithology

With World Curlew Day fast approaching (21 April), here's a reminder of a recent blog about Slender-billed Curlew (and Pacific Golden Plover):
wadertales.wordpress.com/2026/03/09/s...
There are 14 other curlew blogs in the #WaderTales catalogue:
wadertales.wordpress.com/about/
#ornithology

More Snipe news!
Very few Icelandic Snipe winter in England (wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/09/20/s...)
This tagged bird left Cornwall at 7pm on 13th April and arrived in Iceland 16 hours later.
Info from @tomasgunnarsson.bsky.social & @joseaalves.bsky.social
#ornithology

With wader flocks on the move, do you ask yourself questions like:
"How does an individual bird decide which flock to join?"
Insights from tracking Curlew:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2021/08/25/t...
#ornithology

Interesting track of a homeward-bound Icelandic Golden Plover (@tomasgunnarsson.bsky.social on Facebook).
Portugal to east England, then Netherlands & Orkney.
Caught up in flock heading to Europe and readjusted to head to Iceland?
#ornithology
Background: wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/07/20/w...

Cows have big feet!
Creating the right habitat, by using cattle to graze saltmarsh, is a balancing act:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/04/04/b...
Blog from 4 April 2016 🎂🔟
#ConservationScience🌍

Waiting for the wind – spring flocks of Black-tailed Godwit in Scotland When a flock of Black-tailed Godwit turns up on a Scottish island or lochside, in April or May, it’s probably a sign that the birds have aborted the Atlantic crossing to Iceland. On 24 Februa…

4 Black-tailed Godwits in fine summer plumage at Tayport this a.m.
This is the time of year when flocks get 'stuck' in Scotland, in northerly winds. More here:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/03/21/w...
(article modified from Scottish Birds)
Please check for colour-rings 🙏
📷 @tireebirder.bsky.social

Waiting for the wind – spring flocks of Black-tailed Godwit in Scotland When a flock of Black-tailed Godwit turns up on a Scottish island or lochside, in April or May, it’s probably a sign that the birds have aborted the Atlantic crossing to Iceland. On 24 Februa…

4 Black-tailed Godwits in fine summer plumage at Tayport this a.m.
This is the time of year when flocks get 'stuck' in Scotland, in northerly winds. More here:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/03/21/w...
(article modified from Scottish Birds)
Please check for colour-rings 🙏
📷 @tireebirder.bsky.social

Just one Black-tailed Godwit When you receive a list of sightings of a colour-ringed bird that you have reported to a scheme organiser, it can hide a wealth of information. Here’s one such bird. Blue Red – Yellow Green-flag BR…

Every colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit can tell a story.
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/04/04/j...
Blog from 4 April 2018 🎂8️⃣
#ornithology

All change at Welney!
'Limosa' Black-tailed Godwits are paired up and breeding.
'Islandica' Black-tailed Godwits are preparing to return to Iceland.
More here:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/g... 🎂🔟
#ornithology
@cambsbirdclub.bsky.social @lizziebruce.bsky.social @wwtworldwide.bsky.social

Nice photo!
This looks like a Humber-ringed Black-tailed Godwit.
The number of colour-ring sighting in Scotland is very much weather dependent. More here:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/03/21/w...
#BirdingScotland

Black-tailed Godwits (that breed in Iceland) are on earlier schedules than Knot (which will fly further north, to Greenland and NE Canada).
More about wader migration:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/07/20/w...
#birds

Snipe news!
4/4
Movements of ringed Snipe had already established a strong link between Iceland and Ireland, with few being found in the UK. @btobirds.bsky.social
Tagging is adding fascinating detail.
More about Snipe and Jack Snipe here:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/09/20/s...
#ornithology

Snipe news!
3/4
Here is where one Snipe spent last summer/autumn, feeding in the marshy edge of Laugarvatn by day, but also between houses and alongside roadside verges at night.
#ConservationScience🌍
More (in Icelandic) on the Facebook page of Rannsóknasetur Háskóla Íslands á Suðurlandi.