A Rosy Outcome!

In What Was An Otherwise Rather Quiet Week...

Monday 19th to Sunday 25th May 2014...  



Bird of the week was the Roseate Tern that was on and around the Tern Island on Friday evening with around one hundred Common Terns...


The Roseate Tern by the Tern Island.
Unfortunately it was a little bit distant for my bridge camera and the light was beginning to go.
Note the tail streamers projecting well beyond the primaries and all dark bill.



The Roseate Tern on the Tern Island.
Note the general paleness of the plumage (compared to the Common Tern behind). It did show a faint 'pinky' hue but this is hard to discern in the photos. It bore a metal and plastic ring but it was too far off to be sure of the colour of the latter in the failing light let alone see any inscriptions.

Looking back through my notes I was very surprised to discover that this is the first Roseate Tern I've seen at Abbotsbury since May 2007!

Other summer migrant highlights included several Hobby sightings through the week, although they could have all involved the same first year bird and also the first Spotted Flycatcher of the year went into the log. The only other passage passerines of note were a late Willow Warbler which was the first for a week or two and ditto a couple of Sand Martins.

As for passage waders... Dunlin peaked at a measly six and there were singles of Knot, Sanderling, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Common Sandpiper and Redshank.

So apart from the tern not a very eventful week. I'll leave you with a pic of a very obliging off patch Whinchat at Langton Hive point last Monday...

 

Whinchat, Langton Hive Point.