Firstly - Dave and myself along with a few others were very privelidged to get our eyes on to a possible reserve first.......At 12.30p.m. a Long Billed Dowitcher was sat probing right in front of the hide on the bank of the main shingle island. I won't mention that Dave and I were trying to name all the peaks we could see whilst having our lunch when some kind chap pointed a funny looking snipe out to us........ whoops....... it was still there when we left about 1.00pm and I'll have a wee look tonight sometime aswell. If any one has any pictures they might have taken of the said bird then please post them in the photos. what a surprise at lunch time!
I was also speaking to a lovely couple from london in the hide who commented that the blog hadn't been updated lately. Sorry about that all I'll try and write a bit more particularly now I know someones reading it!
Anyway other birds about..... Following the deployment of the decoy terns I thought I’d give a little bit of an update about terns! I have been seeing two little terns regularly often on the single in the bay next to the left hand spit. They tend to come in at High tide or on a rising tide and stop there or with the other terns on the spit. Recently I have been seeing up to 5 and have had reports of 6 on the island. They do not seem to be displaying just yet but positive thinking on my part. I might start to play some Barry White to help them out.
On the other hand, the Sandwich terns are certainly enjoying themselves! There have been up to 120 + on the spits on the island. They have started bringing in quite sizeable small fish some 2 or 3 times their bill length and there have been some passes between birds which is a really promising sign. Commons have also been bringing in a fish and strutting around with each other and doing this also on the ski bank just of the reserve. White throats have come in as well with reports of lessers too. I heard what could have been the start of a reed warbler getting into song but after standing around looking a little silly for a good twenty minutes nothing! Thats one to look/hear out for maybe.
Anyway here's a nice picture of the terns going over head when I was on the sea wall. Cheers and see you on the reserve - Mhairi
Long billed dowitcher still there 12.00 today although scared out of sight by a very excitable lapwing.