dancing juv Marsh Harrier

when Marsh Harrier juvs are newly fledged and exploring areas around the nest I have often seen them try to land on things and then suddenly jump in the air when their feet touch the object; I assume that the insides of the toes are very sensitive, ready for closing on prey when they touch it in a hunt?, and they have yet to ascertain what the reaction means -- they will often land on grass and come up clutching a clump of earth or grass only to drop it quickly; they also run around on open ground chasing insects -- seems to be a wide variation in fledging dates again this year with several young strong on the wing taking prey form adults in flight while a number of broods are still in the nest.

variation in Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits

note the variation in proportions of rufous and black in the scapulars and the variable adoption of summer plumage feathers against retained winter scapulars and coverts / tertials -- the tone of the upperpart colours also varies markedly 

a few colour ringed Black-tailed Godwits

I have recorded nearly 350 different colour-ringed Icelandic Black-tails on the Humber since 1995 but not a single nominate bird -- colour ring combinations and types of ring vary and you need to see both tibia and sometimes the tarsus as well to get a full combination -- some whites and yellows can be iron oxide stained in Iceland and appear orange in a quick look -- flags like the white one below can be missed if the flag is at 180 degrees to the scope -- the pale green is referred to as Lime --all these from Wednesday this week at North Killingholme Haven

Thanks to Pete Potts and Jenny Gill for these very speedy recovery details --

As shown by these recovery details the Humber is used by Black-tails that winter, stage, summer in Iceland, Netherlands, various areas of UK and Ireland, France, Portugal and Spain -- people who destroy staging areas in the South China Sea will bring several waders to extinction in the next 50 years but you would have thought that knowing the importance of staging and moulting areas in Britain then the sites with maximum legal protection would remain inviolate but NO --

GOR RNR	25/10/14	Harty, The Swale, Kent, SE England
GOR RNR	26-Oct-14	Oare Marshes Nature Reserve, Kent, SE England
GOR RNR	07-Nov-14	Oare Marshes Nature Reserve, Kent, SE England
GOR RNR	13-Nov-14	Oare Marshes Nature Reserve, Kent, SE England
GOR RNR	22-Apr-15	Oare Marshes Nature Reserve, Kent, SE England
GOR RNR	23-Apr-15	Oare Marshes Nature Reserve, Kent, SE England
GOR RNR	26-Apr-15	Oare Marshes Nature Reserve, Kent, SE England
GOR RNR	27-Apr-15	Oare Marshes Nature Reserve, Kent, SE England
GOR RNR	29-Apr-15	Oare Marshes Nature Reserve, Kent, SE England
GOR RNR	30-Apr-15	Oare Marshes Nature Reserve, Kent, SE England
GOR RNR	14-Jul-15	North Killingholm Haven, Immingham, Humber, N Licolnchire, E England

GG-GW

07.11.10	Humber estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
06.12.10	Humber estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
16.02.11	Humber estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
08.03.11	Humber estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
16.08.11	Humber estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
05.10.11	Humber estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
10.03.12	Seaforth, Merseyside, NW England
09.09.12	Humber estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
12.10.12	Humber estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
25.07.13	Humber estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
25.04.14	Flói, Árnessýsla, S Iceland
06.08.14	Humber estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
11.01.15	Stour estuary, Essex, E England
12.02.15	Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, E England
14.07.15	Humber estuary, Lincolnshire, E England

R+LN	05-Sep-10	Farlington Marshes LNR, Langstone Harbour, Portsmouth, Hampshire, S England
R+LN	10-Jan-11	Portsmouth Harbour, Hampshire, S England
R+LN	02-Oct-11	Freiston Shore RSPB reserve, The Wash, Lincolnshire, E England
R+LN	04-Nov-11	Ardevon / Pontorson (50-Manche) near the Mont Saint Michel, Normandy, NW France
R+LN	05-Nov-11	Ardevon / Pontorson (50-Manche) near the Mont Saint Michel, Normandy, NW France
R+LN	06-Nov-11	Ardevon / Pontorson (50-Manche) near the Mont Saint Michel, Normandy, NW France
R+LN	07-Nov-11	Ardevon / Pontorson (50-Manche) near the Mont Saint Michel, Normandy, NW France
R+LN	08-Nov-11	Ardevon / Pontorson (50-Manche) near the Mont Saint Michel, Normandy, NW France
R+LN	09-Nov-11	Ardevon / Pontorson (50-Manche) near the Mont Saint Michel, Normandy, NW France
R+LN	10-Nov-11	Ardevon / Pontorson (50-Manche) near the Mont Saint Michel, Normandy, NW France
R+LN	20-Feb-13	River IJssel, Aersoltweerde, Hattem, Gelderland, The Netherlands
R+LN	10-Mar-13	Uitgeesterbroekpolder, Uitgeest, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
R+LN	29-Apr-13	Carbarns Pool, Barons Haugh, North Lanarkshire, Scotland
R+LN	11-Sep-13	Frampton Marsh RSPB reserve, The Wash, Lincolnshire, E England
R+LN	29-Jul-14	Frampton Marsh RSPB reserve, The Wash, Lincolnshire, E England
R+LN	08-Aug-14	Frampton Marsh RSPB reserve, The Wash, Lincolnshire, E England
R+LN	08-Mar-15	Landje van Geijsel, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, The Netherlands
R+LN	14-Jul-15	North Killingholme Haven, The Humber, Immingham, N Lincolnshire, E England

WOY YRY	09-Feb-13	Seaton Marshes LNR, Axe Estuary, E Devon, SW England
WOY YRY	21-Feb-13	Seaton Marshes LNR, Axe Estuary, E Devon, SW England
WOY YRY	12-May-13	Kingsmill Lake, Saltash, Tamar, Cornwall, SW England
WOY YRY	20-Mar-14	Skrins, Friesland, The Netherlands
WOY YRY	25-Mar-14	Skrins, Friesland, The Netherlands
WOY YRY	14-Mar-15	Harlingen, west of Leeuwarden, Friesland, The Netherlands
WOY YRY	16-Mar-15	Harlingen, west of Leeuwarden, Friesland, The Netherlands
WOY YRY	14-Jul-15	North Killingholme Haven, Immingham, Humber Estuary, North lincs., E England

Avocet v Little Egret

these stupid birds attack everything in the pit; 800 Black-tailed Godwits tried to land but were driven off by 7 manic Avocets dive bombing them -- nothing is safe even Redshank were attacked

Marsh Harrier v Avocet squadron