Gulls and terns

Lade - warm, dry and sunny, S3 - The main point of interest of late has been the bay where large numbers of gulls, terns and waders have been coming and going. This morning on the incoming short tide we counted a record 220 Mediterranean Gulls (and that was very much a minimum count) along with 240 Sandwich Terns (including plenty of juveniles) and 30 Common Terns. Most of the waders had dispersed by slack water, apart for a couple of hundred laggard Oystercatchers that soon flew to roost as the holidaymakers arrived on the beach.

                                 Mediterranean Gulls, Greatstone beach

                                  Sandwich and Common Terns on the beach

                                  Oystercatchers flying to roost

With a southerly airflow and the smell of rain on the way we joined MC and TG at the fishing boats for an hour staring at the Channel this afternoon. A few Gannets and Kittiwakes drifted by, plus 20 Sandwich Terns, two Common Scoters, a Common Tern and several pulses of Sand Martins out. A Grey Seal gave us the once over but best of all was the brief emergence of a Thresher Shark leaping out of the sea.