The first of our headstarted chicks are released into the wild.

Yesterday marked a significant milestone for the Project Godwit team. After months of preparation and hard work, our headstarted godwit chicks were released into the wild at WWT Welney.

The chicks have all passed a health screening prior to release, and have spent the last few days flexing their flight muscles in the pre-release aviary at the release site. It’s hugely rewarding to see the chicks take their first steps into the wild, particularly for honorary godwit parents Nicky, Louise and Rosie, who have been working around the clock to provide for the chicks over the last few weeks at WWT Welney.

Our “class of 2017” have all been fitted with their own unique set of colour

rings so that they can be followed after their release. This year’s headstarted chicks have all received a green colour ring above a lime colour ring with the black letter “E”, on the right leg, above the knee. Two additional colour rings on the left leg above the knee, complete the combination. We’re appealing to bird watchers to help us keep track of the birds after their release. If you see a colour ringed black-tailed godwit, please let us know about it! You can report it to us on our sightings page here https://projectgodwit.org.uk/get-involved/report-a-sighting/

The hope is that the birds will join post-breeding flocks of wild black-tailed godwits,before starting their southerly migration to the wintering grounds

in Spain, Portugal and West Africa. In two-year’s time, the expectation is that the released birds will return to the Ouse Washes to breed, boosting this fragile population, where we have been working to create safe, flood-free habitat for them.

You can read more about the godwit’s release, and the likely places the birds could be spotted next on the wadertales blog here: https://wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/special-black-tailed-godwits/