Yesterday I spotted a Little Tern on the shingle with colour
rings on its legs. It had a metal ring on the right leg and a yellow ring on
the left. This colour combination is likely to be on a Tern ringed in the Isle
of Man, where there are breeding Little Tern colonies on the Ayres to the north
of the island. While I didn’t get a chance to read the inscription, hopefully I
will get another chance in the coming days and we can find out more on this
bird’s history.
Numbers of Terns are on the rise. Plenty of courting
behaviour was observed between showers
today - see this photo of a male presenting his courtship gift to a discerning
female. Other males have successfully wooed a mate and are prospecting
potential abodes for their youngsters around the shingle.
 |
| Young love © Chris Dobson |
Although no Terns have laid eggs, the Ringed Plover and
Oystercatcher are well on their way to parenthood. Three pairs of both Ringed
Plover and Oystercatcher have made the
colony home and are already incubating eggs. Territory disputes are flaring up
between the species – with plenty of panicky Ring Plovers valiantly defending
their nests!
 |
| Protective parents © Chris Dobson |
Susan and Paddy
No comments:
Post a Comment