After a prolonged cold spell, the high temperatures of recent days have brought spring noticeably closer in Lower Saxony – and with it the first Black-tailed Godwits. On Wednesday, 25 February, three Black-tailed Godwits were sighted at the Dümmer area. One day later, colleagues from the project area at the Lower Elbe also reported three Black-tailed Godwits. By Monday, 2 March, the number of Black-tailed Godwits observed at Lake Dümmer had already increased to 100. Thus, the first Black-tailed Godwits of the year have returned to two of Lower Saxony's most important breeding areas.
Both regions have been key areas for the protection of this endangered species for many years. Around Lake Dümmer, the landscape is characterised by extensive wet grasslands, while the Lower Elbe region features vast marshes and meadows. In recent weeks, as every winter in recent years, measures have been implemented there to improve breeding conditions. Water levels in ditches have been raised and individual areas have been flooded to create alternating flooded areas and slightly elevated grass islands. “The combination of open, wet ground and slightly elevated, drier areas is crucial for the Black-tailed Godwit,” explains project team member Christopher Marlow. “Here, the birds find sufficient food and, at the same time, suitable places to breed.”
The birds that have currently been observed are using the wet areas to search for food. After migration, they need energy-rich food to build up reserves for establishing territories and laying eggs. However, the majority of the population is still migrating northward from their wintering grounds in West Africa. Data from GPS-tagged Black-tailed Godwits show that some individuals are still in West Africa, while many others are already in resting areas in southwestern Europe. A few transmitter birds have already moved further north and are in the Camargue and the Netherlands. The distance between the wintering and breeding areas is up to 4,500 kilometres.
“Early sightings at the end of February are not unusual,” says ornithologist Christopher Marlow. “These may be particularly early breeding birds or migrants that breed further north. Experience shows that the majority of tagged Black-tailed Godwits arrive in Lower Saxony's breeding areas between mid- and late March,” Marlow continues. In any case, staff from the two projects LIFE IP GrassBirdHabitats and LIFE Godwit Flyway have done a good job to ensure optimal conditions in the breeding areas for the upcoming season. Spring can come, and the chances of the first nests and eggs arriving in time for Easter are good.
