Day 169 - Really Splendid Redshanks

Redshank (Tringa totanus)

Hi all today's Day 169 and I have been looking through my photos and I saw a bird that I haven't done before. I have started this post quite late today and haven't got much time to do it so I'm sorry if it isn't such a good quality as it usually is but I will try my best to do the best post that I can do. I have seen this bird in a lot of different places, from Norfolk to Northumberland. Anyway, as you can see from the title and pictures today I am covering Redshanks.

So here are the facts:

• They are resident all around the coast of the UK. 

• You will also find them in Southern Ireland and South-West England where they Winter and in the summer you'll also find them in Northern England, North and South Scotland Central Ireland.

Love this shot of a calm Redshank against a wild sea.

• Despite having 25,000 breeding pairs and 130,000 wintering birds, they are an Amber Status bird as they have had a recent breeding population decline.

• Despite what I said above, they are found in all habitats, including towns and cities! They are mostly found in estuaries and on the coast.

• They are built for wet places an hunt for food is soil and mud for insects, earthworms, molluscs and crustaceans using their bill to probe into the ground.

• They have an array of local names, including Ebb Cock, Pool Snipe and my all time favourite 'Watery Pleep'.

• They do have another name, the Sentinel of the Marsh. This is very apt as they are usually the first birds to fly of the marsh if disturbed.

Group of Redshanks and Lapwings

• They are 28cm in length and they have a 62cm wingspan. Also, Males weigh 110g while Females weigh 130g.

• They have a typical lifespan of 4 years but the oldest blew this away and stuck it put for 5 TIMES LONGER! Yup, that's right, the oldest Redshank survived for 20 years, 1 month and 15 days.

Here are some links to some more information:

RSPB - Redshank

BTO Birdfacts - Redshank

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.