Barwits

A couple of very obliging Bar-tailed Godwits dropped into Maxey GP this evening. They looked to be female because of their brown plumage (the males at this time of year are almost brick red) and the length of their bill. They were quite happy feeding away and are a very welcome addition to my PBC year list.

Digiscoped using Canon Powershot A640 and Kowa TSN-883 x30

This bird is a close relation to the Black-tailed Godwit that I mentioned in a previous posting, but is slightly smaller with a slightly upturned bill. Unlike the `Blackwit` this bird has little leg showing above the bend in the leg and it lacks the white wing-bar. The male in Spring has a brick-red face, neck and underparts, with a mottled grey back, the female (shown) is larger than the male with a much longer bill and is less colourful (but still attractive).

The Bar-tailed Godwit does not breed in this country and is seen either on passage or in the winter months. It is a powerful migrant, indeed it has been shown that they are capable of flying across the Pacific Ocean in a single stage. One bird has flown from New Zealand to China without stopping, a distance of 11,026km!