Ringed Dunlin, Black Rock, December 2016, but ringed in Poland the previous autumn (David O'Connor).
David O'Connor photographed four ringed waders at Black Rock in December 2015 to December 2016 and was kind enough to send us the details.
Extraordinarily, they were all ringed on different dates and years at the same location at the mouth of the Vistula River on the South Baltic coast, East of Gdansk, in Poland. The distance to Black Rock, in a straight line, is 1,900km.
Gdansk to Black Rock
As David writes, "The first three (Dunlin) were ringed on breeding grounds there (though I can't ascertain if they had bred) in 2013, 2015 and 2016 respectively. Interestingly, the last bird - a Curlew Sandpiper - was also ringed there during migration last autumn. One wonders if Kerry is at the end of some enormous east-west migration corridor that extends for at least 2000km. Where these birds arrived from on reaching the South Baltic and where they get to after leaving Kerry would also be really nice to know!"
Ringed Dunlin, Black Rock, 2016, also ringed in Poland (David O'Connor).
Ringed Dunlin, Black Rock, 2016, ringed in Poland (David O'Connor).
Ringed Curlew Sandpiper, Black Rock, December 2016, and another ringed at the same site in Poland the previous autumn (David O'Connor).
