More Tern action

I was doing a duck count on the reserve this morning and picked up the juvenile Little Gull at ARC that Martin had seen yesterday. There was another or the same juvenile seen on Burrowes during the morning. After some rain during the night the early morning felt very humid and it was quite tiring going around the reserve. The White-winged Black Tern was still showing in front of the Firth lookout and was a bit closer than yesterday although the hazy conditions made for tricky photography. 

I didn't think it was worth taking any shots of it in flight due to the hazy conditions.

Whilst standing at Firth a flock of seven Black-tailed Godwits flew in and landed on the exposed mud.

Black-tailed Godwits

At Dengemarsh and almost at the end of the duck count, I met up with Martin who had just left Dengemarsh hide but decided to join me back in the hide. It wasn't too long before Martin located a juvenile Caspian Gull that he had found earlier. I think this might be the first juvenile Caspian Gull that I have seen. Needless to say it was about as far from the hide as it could get.

Juvenile Caspian Gull

After finishing my duck count I would come back to Firth around late afternoon, when hopefully the light conditions might be better.

By early afternoon it had clouded over and a SW breeze was blowing through the screen at Firth however, the White-winged BlackTern and a Black Tern were sat on the mud at Firth.

Dave Scott shot this excellent video of the White-winged Black Tern.

After a while a second Black Tern appeared and at times all three marsh terns were feeding together and relatively close, best observed from Makepeace hide. I couldn't get all three in one shot but did manage two.

Juvenile White-winged Black Tern and Black Tern

Two juvenile Black Terns

White-winged Black Tern

Sort of co-found a juvenile White-winged Black Tern on Burrowes this morning with Peter Eerdsman who thought he had seen it earlier from the visitor centre. This is the fourth one I have found/co-found since moving to the peninsular in 2019. When Peter and I were checking the id it had landed amongst the resting Common Terns on the muddy area in front of the Firth lookout. Once the news was put out it moved towards the back of Burrowes and began feeding, never coming too close.

Juvenile Black Tern on Burrowes too.

Juvenile White-winged Black Tern

Juvenile Black Tern

Juvenile Black Tern

Almost a wader fest

On the RSPB reserve during the evening and a great couple of hours watching a selection of waders in front of the Firth lookout. It is so easy to flush the birds feeding and resting in front of the lookout, real shame the hide couldn't be replaced but i've got used to the lookout now, taken a while.

Greenshank

Snipe

Little Stint

Snipe and Greenshank

Green Sandpiper

Wood and Green Sandpipers

Starting the day at ARC, I could hear Green Sandpiper calling as I walked towards Hanson Hide. On looking out there was a loose flock of seven birds with five together on the closest island.

Green Sandpipers

I could also hear a Wood Sand calling and after a short while it landed close to the hide amongst the recently cut reed.

Wood Sandpiper

On August 10th, I went to the Fishing Boats in the afternoon as an easterly breeze had picked up and you never know a few birds might be going past. However, it was not to be but  luckily Martin turned up with a loaf of bread and we were soon enjoying the gulls tearing the pieces of bread apart and joined by a lovely juvenile Yellow-legged Gull.

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

Turnstone at the Fishing Boats

On Aug 10th, three juvenile Black Terns were on Burrowes Pit.

Juvenile Black Tern

On Aug 5th, I picked up this fledged juvenile and adult female Shoveler still together at ARC. I reckon that they had bred on the reserve as I find it unlikely that they would have flown in from elsewhere and stayed together. I think this is the second Shoveler brood at ARC this year as previously in July I had seen four well grown juvenile Shoveler but couldn't find an accompanying adult.

Juvenile and Adult female Shoveler at ARC

Spotted Redshank

The evening of the solar eclipse, which from the reserve seemed to be a bit of a damp squib.
Spotted Redshank is an annual passage migrant to the area but in low numbers and always a delight to see. This one was in front of Firth.

Spotted Redshank

Greenshank

There are quite a few yellow wagtails feeding on the islands at Burrowes. This one was closer on the mud in front of Firth.

Wood Sand and Pied Fly

Finally a close Wood Sand at ARC this morning although trying to get photos was made difficult due to the height of the reeds in front of Hanson hide.

At midday, Owen made a quick 10 minute check at the top of the Long Pits and found three Pied Flycatchers and later Martin found a fourth. By the time I could get there I could only find one but it was a showy individual.

I called in to ARC on the way home after the RSPB had cut the reeds in front of Hanson and whilst the islands were still relatively bird free resulting from the disturbance there was a flock of three Green Sandpipers and two Wood Sandpipers which you could easily see now the view from the hide was less obscured.

ARC - Another odd Duck

I've noticed this duck on a few occasions recently from Hanson hide but never been able to get a good look until today. I think it is a hybrid of some flavour with quite a bit of Pochard in there and i'm not sure what else?

Answers on a postcard or left as a comment!

Update 13th August - Its a Pochard x Pintail hybrid