It's not all about Terns

This handsome cormorant is feeling the heat


You can see the fuzzy red heads of the coot chicks inside this tyre nest. I'm not sure if any eggs in the 'rubbish tip' nest near the Green Frog have hatched yet, the adult is sat there every time I go to look.


The tern chicks don't like to be ignored


And finally .....


The tyre nests on the pontoons have been a great success so far, and I'd like to see more of them. I wonder how many people who pass the dock each day realise what is going on a few yards away? It would be great to have some identification boards, similar to those used on RSPB reserves.

Terns on Film

Have now been able to get some really good pictures of the terns. Click on a picture to enlarge.

There are at least 3 chicks, 2 in one nest and one in the other. The single chick has been spending quite a lot of time out of the nest, and is possibly slightly older than the others.

I have counted 8 adult terns in the last few days, and think there are at least 2 more.

The 2 chicks are clearly visible on this photo


The other chick inspects his surroundings


You can see the reflection in the water of one of the adult terns (top right in this picture)


Returning with a fish


The lone wanderer


Landing the catch


In flight

Monday 21 June 2010

16:00 Sunny 20 o C. Wind W 8mph. Humidity 50%. Pressure 1022 mB. Visibility very good. High tide today 06:14, 8.24m

A beautiful day for the solstice.

The terns are very active, feeding and guarding. There are 2 chicks, one has been walking around outside the nest, the other just peeping over the rim occasionally.


The adults are fiercely protective, and will go after any gulls, no matter how big, that intrude on their territory.

The swan family are down in the dock basin just now, probably waiting for the lock gates to be opened for them.

Saturday 19 June 2010

14:00 Sunny intervals 14 o C. Wind N 14mph. Humidity 48%. Pressure 1020 mB. Visibility excellent. High tide today 16:45, 8.23m

I have been watching the tern and swan nests regularly over the last few weeks.

I really thought the swans had abandoned their nest a fortnight ago, as I hadn't seen them for several days. I was pleased to be proved wrong, and they have hatched 3 cygnets. They have now left the nest and are swimming en famille around the dock.

The terns are feeding a chick, or possibly chicks, and it's marvellous to watch them swooping around the dock area, gathering food, then returning to perch on the edge of the nest and place the food in the chick's maw.

Wednesday 9 June 2010

The swans laid 3 eggs a few weeks ago, but unfortunately they have now abandoned the nest and I haven't seen then for a week. A similar thing happened last year, though in previous years swans have bred successfully here.

The terns are still around and have been able to watch them daily. They are not difficult to spot as their call is umistakable. When they are inside their tyre nest they are harder to see, but a few minutes patience will be rewarded wwhen a head pops up into view.

They seem to be collecting something - food perhaps? - from along the dock walls at the top end of the dock, and they come very close to the railings at times. They are moving very quickly, but did manage to snatch one hasty photograph.

Thursday 3 June 2010

16:00 Sunny 25 o C. Wind SE 4mph. Humidity 45%. Pressure 1020 mB. Visibility very good. High tide today 15:19, 7.62m

The terns are nesting again, looking forward to watching them again this summer. There are at least 4 terns hanging around the dock, of which at least one pair are building a nest in a tyre. I managed to get a couple of pictures with my compact camera, will try and get some better ones over the next few days.



These lovely flowers grow around the car park on Maritime Way and are enjoyed by bees and butterflies.