Mundane update from Ireland

Well I've been monitoring the local Brent at Dundrum at the tail-end of the season, in part to try to avoid the embarassment of coming near the bottom of the list of data contributors for the season. The award ceremony is a glamorous affair, typically a slagging match over a bottle of Jameson in Iceland in which Gerry or Graham play Sir Alan Sugar and the shamed observer gets fired. In our world it's funny. A mixture of 'gold' observations (quality not quantity) with some volume from Dundrum Bay in Co. Down will have slightly redeemed my status this year.

Part of this is due to having recruited a scribe. Attached is my 6.5 year old daughter Anna's solid attempt at writing down ring combinations, colours and API scores. You've just got to love writing something as it sounds. On the top line the time - 'haf 11'; on the next line the 16th became the 61th. Maybe I said that wrong. I always get that wrong..

The latest from Dundrum is that there are still about 600 birds and API scores have increased from 3s to some 4s over the last week-fortnight.

New exodus

Last few days Brent Goose numbers have been growing fast in Iceland. This morning Svenja Auhage found 600 foraging in Blautós, near Akranes. In the afternoon I counted 1630 at Alftanes w.o. 1100 were at Skógtjörn. I did not have much time, but managed to read nearly 50 rings at high water. Despite having read about 50 before most of today's birds were new. The new arrivals are generally in good condition and many with API of 3 and some even score 4.

I am just heading back from a week in British Columbia. Had a great day yesterday checking out Western Sanpipers and wintering Snowy Owls at Boundary Bay (Vancouver) along with a hugely impressive 30,000 staging Snow Geese. Lots of Black Brant as well including this one with a ring. These are likely birds that breed in Western Alaska. Quite different migratory strategy to ours. Their last major staging cite is at the coast about 300 miles from the breeding colonies, whereas for our Light-bellied brent, the last major staging area is Iceland!