Wednesday 4 June 2014

Latest bird news from Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

This week's highlight is a Black Headed Gull regurgitating food for its chicks! (Including a slow-motion bit when another gull tries to steal the food)



There's a strange mix of Black Headed Gulls across the different islands in the reserve. Some have no chicks yet:
DSC_0663

Others have chicks 1-2 weeks old:
DSC_0647

While this floating enclosure has much older chicks in it:
DSC_0665

My theory is that the best nest sites, which are furthest away from the banks and hides, get taken first, so they have the older chicks. No idea if that's what really happens though! This is my favourite gull picture of the day anyway:
DSC_0629

We saw quite a few other different birds this time, such as Cormorants:
DSC_0649

A tufted duck (right at the limit of the zoom range of my lens):
DSC_0658

A Redshank, I think (also some distance off):
DSC_0661

A Little Egret fishing in one of the tidal streams that flow in and our of the lagoons:
DSC_0690

And also several Avocets. In these two photos there are Avocet chicks, but in the second one it's hard to spot at first!
DSC_0669

DSC_0675

I like these ones of an Avocet trawling for food...
DSC_0697

DSC_0695

And finally, a token non-bird photo - a Common Blue butterfly, at the inland side of the reserve:
DSC_0683

More to come after our next visit...

Mike

No comments: