in dark skies and heavy rain.
The winds and rain have paid off again getting the waders moving with Redshanks galore in the area and now Ringed Plover at Raggalds Flood.
1600 hours and off to Mixenden in heavy rain which eased for a while and long enough for me to get my target bird, Swallow of which 5 were present throughout plus at least 1 House Martin feeding over the water. A Moorhen was unusual, as was a Cormorant, for this site and rarer still were 2 Redshank moving around the waters edge, the first I,ve had at this location.
With waders on the move I left Mixenden to check the Raggalds Flood but a text from Jamie Brass, BOG, got me heading there twice as quick with his report of 3 Ringed Plover type on the flood.
On arrival the sky was getting darker with rain clouds fast approaching and to make it worse the cows were blocking the view to the water. When they eventually moved nothing was showing other than the 2 Redshanks and visibility was getting worse.
Eventually, one by one the Plovers started to appear from behind the reeds on the near shore. Well done to Jamie for spotting them and thanks for the text, a good record for this location, the last being seen there 17/05/2013.
Looking at the pics now at least 1 is a Little Ringed and the one I got in the scope was Ringed.
And Finally.... The Cold Edge Dams Barnacle Goose wearing the Yellow leg ring.
After several attempts to obtain details of the birds origin ,and the ringing organisation not even having the decency to reply, I went for plan B and got NK involved who delved into the matter through other channels and came up with this.
This Barnacle goose originates from a small island called Svalbard which I looked up and found to my amazement it is one of the worlds most northerly inhabited areas half way between Norway and the North Pole which is a remote terrain of frozen tundra and glaziers with Polar Bears, Arctic Fox and Reindeer. The constant Northern lights there create sunlight 24 hours a day.
These geese are netted and ringed on the Solway in SW Scotland but no dates available as yet unless I get a reply.
No wonder it feels at home at Cold Edge Dams !!
BS