Purple sandpipers with lime-green legflag from Svalbard, Arctic Norway (1 Viewer)

Please look for this insignificant and often ignored wader! This summer 1274 birds were ringed in Longyearbyen (78 deg. North). Lime green legflag with 3 black letters was used in 2010, and there is already one re-sighting unexpectedly early in Holland on September 19th.
In 2009 it was used orange legflag on 660 birds cathed on Sørkappøya, southernmost point on Spitsbergen. Some pictures here. So far, ca 20 re-sightings from several unexpected areas like Finnish SW coast and also from Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Holland.
Previous ringing have linked breeding Svalbardpurp's with Scotland and Swedish West coast winter populations (Ron Summers and Mikael Hake).
Report sightings to: [email protected] or use the splendid site www.cr-birding.be

Best regards from Mikael!

I shall keep an eye out for these in northeast Scotland this winter - good to know what colour rings and flags to look out for.

Will keep an eye out in North Scotland.