South to the Canary Islands

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is now way past he Canary Island in his Open 60 racing sailboat “SAGA Insurance” on his way to Fremantle Australia in the VELUX 5 OCEANS single handed race. By now he should be entering the doldrums or the equatorial belt of calms. This is an area around the earth centered slightly north of the equator between the two belts of trade winds. The doldrums are noted for periods when the winds disappear, trapping sailing vessels for days or weeks but can also show various forms of severe weather, such as thunderstorms and squalls.

But others were heading south as well….   A bold, little Ringed Plover (Charadrius Hiaticula) called BATMAN (!) who was tagged in Holt, close to Isafjordur, was spotted on Lanzarote on the Canary Islands last month. 

This little fellow was tagged in the summer of 2005. He was also seen in the Canary Islands around Christmas last year and again in Dyrafjordur here in the West Fjords in July this summer and now again in Lanzarote.

Another Ringed Plover tagged in Bolungarvik was recently spotted in Mauritania in West Africa.

Further info on this specie can be found on BIRDGUIDES.

So, why not follow the Ringed Plover….  as nice as the Canary Islands can be, nothing beats the West Fjords in the summer.