Highlights...
A Roseate Tern was present briefly on the 18th. Bearing a ring it was clearly different from last month's bird.
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Roseate Tern, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Steve Groves |
The first Cattle Egret since April arrived on the 15th, being joined by a second on the 17th and seven more on the 18th. The flock then flew west and were not seen again.
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Cattle Egret, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Joe Stockwell |
Two Great Egrets were present briefly on the 21st, the first since February.
The first Osprey since April, flew west on the 17th.
Waterfowl...
The Canada Goose moult flock still consisted of around eight-hundred and fifty (along with a the few home bred family parties) early in the month and the Barnacle Goose still lingered throughout. The Mute Swan moult flock numbered around seven-hundred, along with around two-hundred breeding birds and their young, while the resident Whooper Swan was still present throughout.
As usual the most numerous ducks (and the only ones breeding) were Shelduck (with around forty present); Mallard (with around two-hundred and fifty present) and Tufted Duck with around fifty present early in the month (although unlike the former two species, only one brood was seen). The first Shovelers for several weeks were seen on the 24th and peaked at eight on the 29th. while also the first Gadwall for several weeks were present on the 13th with a peak of five on the 20th. Over-summering single drakes of Pochard, Wigeon, Pintail and Teal were present throughout but the latter was joined by up to seven others from the 13th.
Waders...
Oystercatchers peaked at twelve on the 5th (and the pair on the Tern Island fledged a chick making a total of two from the four pairs present this year). The post-breeding Lapwing flock increased from three last month to five this month; an unseasonable Golden Plover was present from the 14th to the 17th; single Ringed Plovers were seen on three dates; and single Little Ringed Plovers were seen on four dates.
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Golden Plover, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Joe Stockwell |
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Golden Plover, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Joe Stockwell |
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Little Ringed Plover, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Charlie Wheeler |
The first returning Whimbrel was seen on the 9th with one to three then noted on four further dates; Single Curlews were seen on three dates; one to two Bar-tailed Godwits on three dates; whilst Black-tailed Godwits were present virtually daily with a peak of ten on the 8th.
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Black-tailed Godwit, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Joe Stockwell |
Three Turnstones were present on the 19th and there were then further singles on three dates; single Knots were seen on the 7th and 22nd; Sanderlings were present on five dates with a peak of six on the 20th; whilst Dunlin were regular with counts of between thirty and forty from the 19th to the 22nd.
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Dunlins, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Steve Groves |
Common Sandpipers were seen daily with peaks of nine plus in the last week; Green Sandpipers were present, pretty much daily too with a peak of at least seven on the 30th; Redshanks were also seen almost daily from the 10th with a peak of eight on the 16th; and single Greenshanks were seen on three dates but with two present on the 22nd.
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| Green Sandpiper, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Joe Stockwell |
Greenshank, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Joe Stockwell
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| Greenshank, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Joe Stockwell |
Gulls & Terns...
Following not long after the bird in May, two equally unseasonable Kittiwakes were present briefly on the 12th.
Kittiwakes , Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Steve Groves
Meanwhile Black-headed Gulls fledged the last of their young from The Tern Island and with birds dispersing away numbers dropped to around seventy early in the month. There was a marked increase in Mediterranean Gulls however, with a count of over two-hundred and thirty on the 3rd. There was a fairly high percentage of juveniles too, joining the juvenile fledged from The Tern Island (the first for the Fleet).
Mediterranean Gull (first calendar year), Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020
© Steve Groves
© Steve Groves
A Common Gull seen on the 19th though, was the only one of the month. Great Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls were present daily with regular counts of around twenty of the former and one-hundred to two-hundred of the latter; At least two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present on the 4th with a single on the 31st; An adult Yellow-legged Gull was seen on the 4th, whilst the first juvenile was seen on the 12th. Single juveniles were then seen on seven other dates, with three on the 13th and at least two on the 27th.
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| Yellow-legged Gull (first calendar year), Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Steve Groves |
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| Yellow-legged Gull (first calendar year), Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Steve Groves |
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| Common Tern (first calendar year), Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Steve Groves |
As expected, single figures of Sandwich Terns continued to be seen throughout but totally unexpected was a flurry of Little Tern records, with birds present daily from the 12th to the 31st, including eleven together on the 22nd. This former breeder is now barely annual, in fact there was only a single sighting last year.
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| Sandwich Tern (first calendar year), Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Steve Groves |
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| Little Terns, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Steve Groves |
Other Water-birds...
Water Rails, Moorhens and Coots were all still raising young, while the post breeding flock of the latter increased to around one-hundred and thirty. The post-breeding/moulting grebe flock consisted of up to three Little Grebes and at least thirty Great Crested Grebes. The first Kingfisher since March was seen on the 17th, with another present on the 31st. There were regular single figures counts of Grey Herons and mid-teen counts of Little Egrets. The nesting Cormorants fledged the last of their young and at least twenty adults and juveniles roosted nightly. In addition a flock of twenty flew west on the 30th.
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| Cormorant , Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Charlie Wheeler |
Predatory Birds...
There were daily sightings of Buzzards and Kestrels, and the pair of Barn Owls and there two young were seen regularly.
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| Barn Owl , Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Charlie Wheeler |
Single Marsh Harriers were seen on six dates and Peregrines on four. There was however only one sighting each of Sparrowhawk and Red Kite.
Other Land-birds...
Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Green Woodpecker were all present.
Swifts were seen regularly, mostly in single figures but with groups of ten to fifty on occasion, whilst an impressive movement on the 3rd involved at least nine-hundred. The nesting Swallows were boosted by other local breeders and most days twenty to fifty were present, whilst post breeding dispersal brought good numbers of Sand Martins too, with counts of up to two-hundred on at least two dates. House Martins were seen less frequently but over twenty were present on the 9th at least.
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| Swallows, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Joe Stockwell |
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| Sand Martins, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Steve Groves |
Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow and Raven were all present in varying numbers and frequency.
Blue Tits, Great Tits and Long-tailed Tits were all still present, whilst Coal Tits that arrived back last month also increased in number.
Cetti's Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Goldcrests were all still present (with no doubt their numbers being swelled by local and not so local bred birds); whilst the first returning Willow Warblers were seen from the 14th.
Dunnocks, Wrens, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Robins were all still present, though the only Stonechat was a single on the 1st. Starling numbers (mostly juveniles) increased dramatically though, with at least three-hundred roosting on several dates.
Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails were all still present, being joined by a Grey Wagtail on the 28th and single Yellow Wagtails on five dates from the 7th but with three on the 29th and two on the 31st.
House Sparrows, Chaffinches, Bullfinches, Greenfinches, Linnets and Reed Buntings were all still present, whilst a few Siskins were heard on the 6th.
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| Linnet , Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2020 © Steve Groves |
That's it for this post except to thank Alan Barrett, Kev Butler, Joe Stockwell, Nick Urch, and Charlie Wheeler for their sightings and where applicable for the use of their photos.
August 2020 sightings to follow shortly.
Steve Groves.
Steve Groves.
Not sure if I understand your Tern ageing. None appear to be first calendar year plumage. The Common and Sandwich are both juveniles and the Little are adults. I stand to be corrected? Mike
ReplyDeleteHi Mike, yes you are correct the Little Terns are adults. This was just me cutting and pasting and then not editing correctly. Thank you for pointing this out. The caption has now been amended.
DeleteAs for the Common and Sandwich Terns… yes they are juveniles but they are also first calendar years too. They don’t moult from juvenile to first calendar year ‘plumage’, they moult from juvenile plumage to first winter plumage. Both are worn in their first calendar year. There is technically no such thing as first calendar year ‘plumage’. First calendar year refers to their age not their plumage as such. In their first calendar year they can be either in juvenile plumage or first winter plumage. In their second calendar year they can be in first winter plumage, first summer plumage or second winter plumage so again there is no such thing as second calendar year ‘plumage’. I could have just called them juveniles but I like to use the calendar year method of ageing.
Thanks for the comment. Steve.
Actually, it would appear that some of what I've said above doesn't really apply to terns, as unlike most gulls, terns don't have a real first winter plumage. Their juvenile plumage just fades through their first calendar year, so their ginger feather-tips are worn away and they appear much greyer. They haven't moulted as such. In their second calendar year they then moult into first summer plumage. Just because they retain juvenile plumage throughout their first calendar year though, still doesn't alter the fact that they are still first calendar year birds and can quite rightly be referred to as such.
DeleteSteve.