First Juveniles at Strangford Lough...

To answer Kendrew's blog first, I have spoken to Kerry Mackie, who organises the Strangford Lough counts, tonight, and he thinks that numbers have not built up radically there since my last observation on numbers on 09 September. Elsewhere, however, I have had a report this morning of a flock at Sandymount Strand, South Dublin Bay, passed on by Niall Harmey, and Christine Cassidy has sent me this excellent photograph of brent on Lough Foyle, where numbers first arrived yesterday (approximately 450 at Faughanvale),

 

and where she counted over 900 today between Faughanvale and Ballykelly. So, yes, things are on the move!!

 

Back to Strangford Lough, following a period when late afternoon tide times, and the extremely inclement (sunny!! - heat haze!!) weather conspired to make ring-reading difficult, the birds have begun stopping chasing the tide edge away miles out into the middle, and are now starting to use the lower part of the mudflats, so much easier ring-reading has been possible, mainly at Ballyreagh/Maltings, where I had 17 marked birds yesterday and 53 today, so PLEASE dust off your scopes (INCLUDING you, Kendrew!!)!! And, as suggested by the title, today saw my first juveniles - I think 2 families with 2 juveniles, but it is just possible that it was the same family which had relocated! No signs yet of any of our Canada Expedition 2014 rings!! When/where will they first appear?? Watch this space!!...................