It's a few days late, but it's time for this week's focus on one of the 70 species to spot at Minsmere, and with so much activity on the Scrape it's only right that I turn my attention back to birds this week.
The Scrape is full of gulls in various plumages, as well as good numbers of terns, waders and ducks, and it's the turn of one of the tern species to star this week (sorry - pun intended!)
Common terns are the most widespread species of tern in the UK - for once, the name actually seems to be correct. They breed on stony islands and artificial nest rafts on gravel pits and reservoirs throughout the UK, as well as islands within coastal lagoons, such as the Scrape, and on offshore islands. Several pairs nest on the Scrape every year, and you may spot their well camouflaged chicks scuttling around the islands in July. Like all terns, they are summer visitors to the UK, arriving from early April to late May, and flying south again in August/September. They spend the winter in the southern oceans or on wetlands throughout southern Africa.
Common terns are slender seabirds, with grey upperparts, white underparts, a black cap, black-tipped red bill and long, forked tail. The latter feature gives them the nickname of sea swallow. Although similar in length to a black-headed gull, they are much daintier birds, so look much smaller.
Common tern by Jon Evans
There have actually been five species of tern on the Scrape this week - though you may need to look very carefully to see all five. The most obvious of the others is the Sandwich tern, with up to 75 birds present, including at least one chick on East Scrape and a fledged juvenile on South Scrape. Sandwich terns are bigger than common terns, with paler grey upperparts, a shaggy black cap and a black bill with yellow tip.
A few little terns are present most days too, either resting on the Scrape or beach or fishing offshore. This really is a tiny bird and is easily overlooked if roosting alongside other terns and gulls. Little terns have yellow bills with a black tip and a white forehead. They used to breed on the beach at Minsmere, but are now best looked for nesting on the beaches at Kessingland in north Suffolk or the Eccles/Winterton/Great Yarmouth area of Norfolk. At Minsmere, they tend to be passage migrants.
Other terns at Minsmere are definitely passage migrants, so less predictable in their appearance and usually only seen in very small numbers. July is, however, a good month to see them as they disperse away from their breeding colonies. An Arctic tern has been seen several times this week, for example, as has a juvenile black tern. Arctic terns look very similar to common terns but have shorter, deeper red bills that lack the black tip and shorter legs. They breed in huge colonies on the Farnes and various Scottish islands, and are some of the most traveled birds in the world, but can be difficult to spot at Minsmere.
Black terns are one of three species of marsh terns that nest in the vast wetlands of eastern Europe and central Asia and often pass through the UK in spring and autumn. You are much more likely to find a black tern than a white-winged or whiskered tern though. While most terns catch fish by plunge diving into shallow water, marsh terns pick insects off the surface of the water or adjacent vegetation. As their name suggests, they are much darker than the other terns, and the juvenile on the Scrape today is a beautifully marked bird - sadly it was too distant for a photo.
Several other tern species have turned up at Minsmere in July (again, pun intended). The UK's rarest nesting seabird, the roseate tern, is the most likely. This is a very pale version of a common tern with black bill and red legs. One or two are seen most years. The enormous orange-billed Caspian tern is a very rare visitor, and many years ago I was lucky enough to see a lesser crested tern too.
Alongside all these terns are huge numbers of gulls. Again, several species are present, with good numbers of Mediterranean gulls and kittiwakes alongside the black-headed gulls, as well as smaller numbers of herring and lesser black-backed gulls, one or two yellow-legged gulls and a small but growing flock of beautiful little gulls - the latter peaked at 22 birds today.
I know that gulls are not to everyone's taste, especially when the youngsters fledge and add to the ID confusion, so below is a selection of photos from East hide today that might help you to learn this tricky of birds this month.
Top to bottom - adult Mediterranean gull with black head, bright red beak and white wingtips (not visible in this picture); adult black-headed gull with chocolate-brown head and dark red bill; juvenile black-headed gull - not similar structure to adult.
Juvenile black-headed gull showing features in more detail
Juvenile Mediterranean gull - note scaly plumage and heavier bill than black-headed
Of course, there are many more species to see on the Scrape too. Waders include spotted redshanks, ruffs, curlews, black-tailed godwits, redshanks, lapwings and avocets, while ducks include shelduck, teal, mallard, gadwall and shoveler.
An avocet, bearing colour rings to help with monitoring the bird's movements. I haven't looked up where this bird was ringed yet.
For many visitors, the star birds this week have been the flock of seven spoonbills that alternate between East Scrape and the North Levels. If in the latter the location they can be seen distantly from Whin Hill. Luckily, today they spent much of the day on East Scrape, where I was able to take some photos of them.
Today's spoonbills, with a photo-bombing lesser black-backed gull
Elsewhere, a family of water rails with chicks were seen from the North Wall, bitterns, hobbies and marsh harriers were seen over the reedbed throughout the day, and a female tufted duck with chicks was watched at Island Mere. Birdsong has largely ceased for the summer, but I did hear a few reed and sedge warblers and chiffchaffs still singing. And, of course, the sand martins continue to entertain.
Insects, too, continue to feature prominently in our sightings lists. The inhabitants of Digger Alley had to run the gauntlet of a marauding hornet this afternoon. Nearby, I spotted a six-belted clearwing moth along North Wall. Various dragonflies can be seen patrolling the ponds, ditches and woodland rides, and butterflies seem to be enjoying this warm weather. In fact, we've had some unprecedented records of butterflies this week. Counts along the woodland trail have exceeded 25 white admirals, 12 purple hairstreaks, and an incredible 27 silver-washed fritillaries. the latter only arrived at Minsmere a few years ago. Even more exciting was a continental swallowtail at nearby Dingle Marshes on Monday, with a possible swallowtail seen at Minsmere yesterday.
Will this continued warm weather bring with it any more unusual visitors? why not come along this week and find out.