Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Avocets, Terns and Gulls at Rye Harbour

Once again the Avocets are the star of the show this week - I captured this video of two pairs of them fighting! Ironically their offspring seem to all be getting along fine, but I'm sure they'll learn from their parents soon enough!



Although the chicks do spend time on their own now, they're never far from their parents, and follow them closely some of the time:
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I was fortunate to get a few pictures of one of the adults flying:
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They weren't the only birds flying though, I also got this Little Egret (which doesn't look so little when it's in flight!):
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and also some Sandwich Terns:
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This Cormorant had other ideas, preferring to head downwards... Watch the video to see how long it dives underwater for! I now understand why they spend time sat around with their wings spread out to dry!


The Common Terns now have their chicks hatched:
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I think the Sandwich Terns do too, but the shrubs on their island have grown up so much I can't see them any more! The Black Headed Gull offspring are now heading into the juvenile stage:
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But this doesn't stop them annoying their parents by begging for food!
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Some of them have hatched much later though, and are still tiny:
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You can see the difference between them and their peers that are just a few weeks older here:
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The adults meanwhile are continuing to model ideal gull behaviour for their offspring...
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Finally, I got my first picture of a Linnet at Rye Harbour, though it's not as sharp as I would like...
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and I also saw a Sparrow, with its beak stuffed full of food! :-)
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Anyway that's all for now. I've been busy up at the woods too, fixing tracks now they've dried out, and processing seasoned wood into logs ready for winter. Doesn't make for exciting photos though!

Mike

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