Black-tailed godwit season underway
Summer is on the way and headstarting is in full swing has for this season.
The black-tailed godwits that are returning to breed in the UK this summer are now back, in the Fens these are concentrated on and around the Ouse Washes and the Nene Washes. Read on for an update about the breeding population, where we are up to in this final year of Project Godwit and the dates for our guided godwit tours for 2022.
At WWT Welney, we have wetland habitat on the Ouse Washes and Lady Fen which is outside the Ouse Washes. Within our population of black-tailed godwits at least 25 ringed birds from previous years of headstarting. Over recent weeks we have seen these birds settle in, display to prospective mates, pick territories and start their first nesting attempts. The majority of birds spotted so far were released in 2017 and 2018, with the first ones, Lady and Cornelia, arriving at the end of March. Two of the returnees who spent time on the main lagoon in view of the main hide in April, are likely a pair who partnered up last year, Rosti (BB-WL(E) and Dill (WN-WL(E).
Generally after birds are released they don’t return in their first year to their nest site, but the headstarted brds have surprised us in the past so we will see who returns this year from the 2021 cohort. Not all birds take a direct route back to Welney. Strider, ringed in 2018 and released on the Nene Washes, spent the summer of 2019 in France, leaving on October 23rd to begin the migration to Africa. In February 2020 Strider spent time in Germany on migration back to the Ouse washes. Strider has been back at Welney since April this year. Ringing birds with coloured leg rings is essential for monitoring where they travel on their migration and how they do after release.With every sighting the team learn more about godwit behaviour and the project. Ring reports can be submitted through the Project Godwit website.
Project Godwit 2022 season starts
This season of headstarting is in full swing, with final egg collections soon to be carried out. There are 48 eggs already collected and in incubators and the Conservation Team are in the midst of the first clutches hatching and taking their first steps. Project Godwit have some team members returning to Welney for another season this year, as well as some excited new team members ready to continue the great work this project has achieved so far.
Guided Tours for 2022
We love the opportunity to share with visitors the story of black-tailed godwits and the amzing conservation work this EU Life funded partnership project is enabling to happen. We are pleased to be again putting on guided tours of our part in this project at WWT Welney. The tours are running whilst the headstarted chicks are in the rearing pens stage of life, our dates for this year run Thurs 26 May - Sat 11 June on selected dates. All spaces for tours must be booked through the website, use the link below to get all the details on the tours and where to book.
