I left home thinking I was going to go into the New Forest to look for Honey Buzzards, but a worrying weather forecast and a heavy shower I encountered as I joined the M27, changed my thoughts. I decided to head down to Lymington and then out onto Normandy Marsh. A pair of Roseate Terns had been present since the start of the week and I thought it might be easier to see them than wait for Honey Buzzards, that would not want to fly in rain!
Before setting off to Normandy I took the short walk to Pennington Marsh and the flooded area in the south east corner. A drake Garganey had been reported here through out the week and sure enough there was one at the back of the flood, but it was also accompanied by two other males.
The two seemed quite happy together, while the other stayed lone.
It was drizzling and Swallows and Swifts were hawking across the marsh, the rain pushing the insects closer to the ground.
I walked back to the car, picked up an umbrella which turned out to be a master stroke and then headed off towards Normandy. The rain became harder and the brolly was now quite important. Walking along the west wall of Normandy marsh a Ringed Plover was behaving like a Little Ringed, which was a shame when it turned out to be a Ringed.
I was heading to the south side where there would be the best view of Tern island. However as I approached I was given the news that the the two Roseates had flown out to sea about twenty minutes earlier. I was quite confident that they would return, it was just a case of waiting it out. The umbrella came in very handy, and by using the pocked of my coat I could hold the umbrella up and use the binoculars and camera.
Common Terns were fishing right in front of me.
The terns were aware of any threat from predators, crows flying over were chased off, but the biggest threat came from the Lesser Black-backed Gulls, they would fly over testing the defences and looking already for any potential weakness. The Common Terns would all go up calling together and chasing the gulls away.
Avocet would join the terns in ushering the predator away.
Another threat came from the Grey Herons and they could be seen flying back and forth over the water.
Then at last bother Roseate Terns were picked up flying in, their brilliant white plumage and lovely long tail streamers picking them out from the similar sized Common Terns. One went straight to the island and landed, while the second flew around before coming back to drop onto the island.
Both birds looked settled and started to preen following their trip out to sea.
After the preening the obligatory wing flap.
Both birds settling down.
It was possible to just make out the pink flush on the breast that gives the terns their name.
Then the Lesser Black-backed Gulls came over and every gull went up to defend their island. I lost the Roseates, but managed to pick up this pair of Common Tern that flew over my head once the Gull had been chased away.
Some lovely sychronicity.
The Roseates then returned to their spot, first one bird.
Then it was joined and welcomed by the other bird. You get the first views of the beautiful tail streamers.
Not wanting to be left out a Common Tern settled on a post right in front of me.
As I mentioned earlier the Roseate is a similar size to a
Common Tern but very white-looking, with tail-streamers, a black cap and a
black beak with a reddish base. In summer, adults have a pinkish tinge to their
underparts which gives them their name. It's one of our rarest seabirds and its
severe, long-lasting and well-documented decline make it a Red List species.
The only known colony of breeding Roseate Terns in the United Kingdom is on Coquet Island in Northumberland. The largest colony is in Ireland, accounting for 75% of the European breeding colony. This pair have been exhibiting behaviour associated with breeding which would be an incredible record for Hampshire. They are regularly seen on passage through Hampshire, but to breed would be something else.
I watch both as they preened and sat on the island,every so often they would take off and fly around but returning to the partner. Here once again you can see the tail streamers
Then one took off and flew around the island before heading out across the lagoon and over the sea wall. Yes it was still raining as you can see in the photographs.
Would the other bird join it, or would it stick around and wait for its mate to return? It was a waiting game once again, but at lest the rain had eased and there was the other terns to watch, First the Little Terns.
And another Common Tern
Then the Roseate returned, it was the ringed bird, could this be the male because it was bringing in a sand eel and presented it to its mate.
This is serious stuff.
The wings held low and the tail streamers were cocked showing them off.
I eventually decided to leave and walk back around the marsh. Here the exposed mud in Oxey Lake.
After a rapid lunch I walked back to Pennington, there were now just two Garganey on the flood, but very distant. A Whitethroat was singing along the lane.
Reed Warblers are very difficult to photograph, but in the reeds alongside Fishtail Lagoon, one was showing very well.
A sleeping Garganey on Fishtail, probably the lone Garganey seen earlier.
I walked around to the Jetty and there was a lovely male Eider offshore.
Back at the flood, at last one of the Garganey was close in.
There were also more Swifts overhead.
A day that could have been a wash out turned out to be very productive.
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