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OK, let's see what turns up - BY 2021


Soukous

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On 7/21/2021 at 7:28 PM, PeterHG said:

Sad news about the tern colonies! 
 

I had to look that one up, but Google allowed me to hang in with the natives ;)

 

Me too. hopefully Mrs Tiggywinkle wasn't the culprit. But what can be done to increase the protection of the eggs next season? 

 

Very sad news on the terns, but very uplifting to hear about the avocets. why did the culprits take the tern eggs and not the other species' eggs? perhaps the avocets and plovers are better at fighting off the predators? 

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On 7/25/2021 at 2:33 AM, Kitsafari said:

why did the culprits take the tern eggs and not the other species' eggs? perhaps the avocets and plovers are better at fighting off the predators

 

All eggs were taken. The Avocets chicks had already hatched and were well protected by adults.

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This year, for various reasons all but one of our Little Tern colonies failed. The one surviving colony is - fortunately - doing very well. At th epeak we had 500 Little Terns in residence, this morning there were just around 270 adults plus 50 chicks that we could spot amid the marram and other vegetation.

Some have already departed back to West Africa and it is likely that within a couple of weeks there will be only a handful left.

 

The fluffy little chicks were too far away for decent photos, but there were some fledglings on the foreshore so here is a couple of pics of Little Tern fledglings

 

Little Tern fledglings

 

Little Tern fledgling

 

Little Tern fledgling

 

Sitting on the shore with the Little Terns was a Common Tern. This photo illustrates quite well the size difference between the species

 

Little Tern & Common Tern

 

There was another Tern on the beach too, also larger than the Little Terns. It took me a moment to ID it, but I am pretty sure it is a Black Tern in post breeding summer plumage

Sadly, it is likely it is just a juvenile Common Tern

 

Black Tern

 

# 127 - Black Tern - Chlidonias niger  :( there goes #127 

Winterton on Sea, Norfolk - August 2021

Black Tern

 

and there was also a lone Sanderling. A better photo than the one I posted for # 91

Sanderling

 

Edited by Soukous
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Nice collection.

Fingers crossed on the Black Tern. I would have liked more of the black mark behind the eye to be 100%.

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6 minutes ago, Galana said:

Nice collection.

Fingers crossed on the Black Tern. I would have liked more of the black mark behind the eye to be 100%.

 

Yes, I concur, it is being investigated :( - gotta try for it though

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On 8/4/2021 at 8:10 PM, Soukous said:

gotta try for it though

Indeed.  Have you considered Roseate?

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8 hours ago, Galana said:

Indeed.  Have you considered Roseate?

 

I had not. The grey shoulder patches made me think Black Tern, although they should still be black at this time so I'm not sure - (but then I rarely am :wacko:)

There are a few Roseate Terns just down the coast at Minsmere.

Edited by Soukous
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On 8/4/2021 at 8:10 PM, Soukous said:

 

Yes, I concur, it is being investigated :( - gotta try for it though

 

Further investigation suggests it is just a juvenile Common Tern :(

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23 minutes ago, Soukous said:

Further investigation suggests it is just a juvenile Common Tern 

Shame about that.

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Little Tern update

 

Yesterday we counted 94 fledglings at Winterton on Sea in East Norfolk and we've been informed that over 300 Little Terns fledged at the Scolt Head colony in North Norfolk. Overall that is a great result.

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It gets better, the latest count this week found 146 fledglings at Winterton. :D

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Anyway, enough of that, time to get back on track with a very stuttering BY.

 

This next one is definitely a record for me. Not a record I particularly wanted but a record nonetheless.

The most birds photographed to get just one tick.

 

The bird is the Knot.

With tides and times almost perfectly aligned I decided it was time to make a return visit to Snettisham on the Norfolk coast of the Wash.

I'll let Explore Norfolk describe it.

"This is a rare chance to see UK wading birds in their hundreds and thousands, literally being pushed off the mudflats by the fast incoming tide.  They take off in one great throng, performing an incredible show in front of your very eyes, a mass of swarming birds, only to settle a little further along the mud flat, for it all to happen again and again, until they have to rest on the lagoon the other side of the sand bank when they are finally defeated by the incoming tide."

 

It is indeed spectacular. Undoubtedly the best thing to do is just watch it and be amazed; trying to photograph it extremely frustrating. So many birds, just too far away to focus on as individuals yet far too many to get into a single frame. How on earth do you convey the sheer scale of it?

 

#127 - Knot - Calidris canulus

Snettisham, Norfolk. August 2021

 

Knots in flight

 

But is is not just knots, there are Black-tailed Godwits and Oystercatchers too, in ridiculous numbers as well as a selection of Terns - Common, Sandwich, Little and even a couple of Black (which I did not manage to photograph :()

 

This is probably less than 25% of the Oystecatchers on the sands

Oystercatchers

 

Black-Tailed Godwits were abundant and mixed in with the Knots

Knots and Black-tailed Godwits

 

Knots and Black-tailed Godwits

 

but is the Knots that make it truly spectacular

Knots

 

Once again, this shows just a fraction of the flocks

Knots and Black-tailed Godwits

 

Knot spectacular

 

Knot spectacular

 

Knot spectacular

 

Knot spectacular

 

Edited by Soukous
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Truly spectacular scenes!

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Dave Williams

You need to step back a bit Martin....about half a mile!! Excellent set of images.

 

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3 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

You need to step back a bit Martin....about half a mile!! Excellent set of images.

 

 

I did try a wider angle lens, but I couldn't get an interesting shot. a hot air balloon would have been useful

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Peter Connan

That is quite incredible! I think you did a bang-up job too!

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On 8/10/2021 at 8:41 PM, Soukous said:

Little Tern update

 

Yesterday we counted 94 fledglings at Winterton on Sea in East Norfolk and we've been informed that over 300 Little Terns fledged at the Scolt Head colony in North Norfolk. Overall that is a great result.

woohhoo! good news indeed.

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wow wow wow. WOW! a spectacular display of knots, godwits, etc. is this only for a very short period? 

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4 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

wow wow wow. WOW! a spectacular display of knots, godwits, etc. is this only for a very short period? 

 

not VERY short, but just a few weeks with the added benefit of breeding plumage

There are big numbers in March, April, May and then again late July, August September, but July August is best for plumage.

The spectacle is at high tide

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Kalaharikind

Wonderful photographs! I was, like Kitsafari, suprised that the nightingale is an LBJ. But the multitudes on the mudflats is truly spectacular. 

How are the Little Terns doing?

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Wow to that Knot spectacle - wonderful!

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just catching up, congrats on the 100. Loved the Scotland report, thanks. Glad you got some nice weather. We too enjoyed beautiful sunshine when we visited, such a pretty country. Incredible experience with the mega flocks of Waders and Shorebirds. 

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