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What the rings reveal

10,000 Birds

Black-tailed godwits winter in large numbers on the estuaries of both Norfolk and Suffolk, and we know that nearly all these birds breed in Iceland. In breeding plumage islandica godwits develop a deeper red plumage than their limosa cousins. Only when I downloaded my images did I spot the ring, which was clear and easy to read (2BAT).

Lithuania 130
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A Brant With Bling

10,000 Birds

And while I didn’t find anything rare hiding amid the hordes of Branta bernicla I did manage to find one that was banded and color tagged. For all I know, my report of this bird might be the first indication that the bird survived the round trip migration to and from the breeding grounds. What could that possibly be?