Little Stint and Little Gulls

Rye Harbour NR - cool, cloudy, NE2 - Spent the day guiding for Gretchen from the USA. During the morning we did the Beach Reserve where the highlights were the waders, including 20 Red Knots, 30 Grey Plovers, 20 Bar-tailed Godwits, 50 Dunlins, 10 Tundra Plovers, 10 Turnstones, five Golden Plovers, Common Sandpiper and a Little Stint. The Sandwich Terns have this year conveniently settled down to nest on the closest island to the hide on Ternery Pool; although there were very few Common Terns, most having de-camped to Dungeness according to the warden. About 20 pairs of Mediterranean Gulls sat amongst hundreds of Black-headed Gulls, some of which already had chicks. Also noted on Flat Beach, a Brent Goose, several Wheatears, 10 Little Terns, Kestrel, Meadow Pipit, Skylark and Little Egrets.

                                Avocet

                                Bar-tailed Godwit in summer plumage

 

 

                               Little Egret

 

                                Summer plumage Grey Plover

Sandwich Tern colony on Ternery Pool

 

                                A host of plovers and sandpipers


  The afternoon was spent at Castle Water where we walked around to the hide noting Cuckoo, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, Green Woodpecker, Pochard, Sedge, Cetti`s and Reed Warblers, Bullfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Lapwing,  `booming` Bittern and three 1st summer Little Gulls. Hundreds of Swifts and House Martins swarmed over the wetland in the cool conditions.
  In summary, a successful outing for our guest during which time we noted 83 species of birds.