Tern sp. off Coquet Island (1 Viewer)

[Alexjh1]

I was just up in Amble last weekend on a bit of a last minute spur of the moment trip, and unfortunately there were no more places on the trip so I didn't get a chance to view the roseate's up close, so instead we had a walk along the beach parralel to the island, and did manage to pick out some incredibly distant roseates.

Oddly though, the closest up maybe photo I got is actually the one I'm not sure about - while the terns were infront of the island it was easier to judge size to rule out the sandwich terns which at that range were the most problematic to differentiate due to the pale back/dark beak. On the other hand, I did try photographing some close terns out to sea, but without that sense of scale to back me up, I actually feel less confident? So, any thoughts on the lower bird here?

 

[Butty]

Difficult to conclude anything safely, given that the photo is obviously so riven with artefacts - all those extraneous black bits which clearly aren't real. No offence.

 

[THE_FERN]

Yes: without certainty for the reasons stated but this looks like one sandwich (rear) and one roseate to me. The nearest bird has a nice long tail and otherwise dainty demeanor which makes it more likely roseate than common or Arctic (sandwich should appear shorter tailed like the one behind)

 

[njlarsen]

Yes: without certainty for the reasons stated but this looks like one sandwich (rear) and one roseate to me. The nearest bird has a nice long tail and otherwise dainty demeanor which makes it more likely roseate than common or Arctic (sandwich should appear shorter tailed like the one behind)

I think the operative word here is more likely, because certainty I do not think can be reached.
Niels

 

[kb57]

I'm not seeing a long tail on the lower bird, I think its just an artefact.
In my experience by far the most frequently encountered terns fishing closer inshore at Amble are Sandwich terns, which is what I think both of these are.
Although I've only been confident about Roseate terns seen from the Coquet island boat trips (especially those sitting on the numbered nest boxes...), I understand Hauxley nature reserve does get a few visits from Roseates. Also, later in the season newly fledged terns of common / Arctic and potentially Roseate will visit Warkworth beach near the northern Coquet breakwater, attended by their parents.

 

[Farnboro John]

I'm not seeing a long tail on the lower bird, I think its just an artefact.
In my experience by far the most frequently encountered terns fishing closer inshore at Amble are Sandwich terns, which is what I think both of these are.
Although I've only been confident about Roseate terns seen from the Coquet island boat trips (especially those sitting on the numbered nest boxes...), I understand Hauxley nature reserve does get a few visits from Roseates. Also, later in the season newly fledged terns of common / Arctic and potentially Roseate will visit Warkworth beach near the northern Coquet breakwater, attended by their parents.

I spent Saturday afternoon and an hour Sunday morning at Hauxley to get one Roseate Tern for the year, stopping as soon as I had the bird I wanted. The vast majority of terns visiting to bathe were Common, reflecting the 1865 pairs on Coquet. Contrastingly Roseates are estimated at 460 pairs. Unfortunately I missed Springwatch saying how many Arctics there were but it was intermediate between the other two and I would estimate Arctics visited at about 10% of Common visits.

A few Sandwich Terns dropped in during both sessions, as well.

Heading photo is IMHO completely unidentifiable.

John

 

[kb57]

I spent Saturday afternoon and an hour Sunday morning at Hauxley to get one Roseate Tern for the year, stopping as soon as I had the bird I wanted. The vast majority of terns visiting to bathe were Common, reflecting the 1865 pairs on Coquet. Contrastingly Roseates are estimated at 460 pairs. Unfortunately I missed Springwatch saying how many Arctics there were but it was intermediate between the other two and I would estimate Arctics visited at about 10% of Common visits.

A few Sandwich Terns dropped in during both sessions, as well.

Heading photo is IMHO completely unidentifiable.

John

This figures in terms of relative numbers of breeding pairs at Coquet - WRT foraging as opposed to bathing behaviour, Sandwich terns seem to be over-represented inshore off the beaches near Amble. I can't find the reference now, but I recall reading a study which suggested that roseate tend to forage further offshore - I believe this was part of the justification for the designation of a larger area offshore as Northumberland Marine Special Protection Area.