28 May 25 - It's That Time Of Year Again On Brownsea - Part 3

The final part of the trilogy featuring the residents of the islands in front of the DWT Brownsea hides, covers the Common Terns. They are the last of the three species to arrive at the lagoon in the Spring, but also the quickest to settle down to their nest sites. It was good to see the first of the Common Tern chicks on the islands in front of the Avocet hide.

The first Common Tern chicks: It looks like most pairs are still incubating

In the three years I've been volunteering on Brownsea and the various years before that when I've visited, it was easy to point out to visitors how to identify the two species of breeding Terns on Brownsea. You didn't need to focus on bill colour or the clean-cut or punk caps. Instead you could just say the Sandwich Terns breed on the islands in front of the Tern hide and the Common Terns were on the islands in front of the Avocet hide. But this year, there are a couple of pairs of Common Terns that have adopted nest sites on the Sandwich Tern islands. In the past, these islands have always been packed with breeding Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls, by the time the Common Terns are prospecting for nest sites. So, there is no space left on the Sandwich Tern islands.

Common Tern

This year there appears to be fewer breeding Black-headed Gulls and this has left space for these two pairs of Common Terns. It will be interesting to see how they fare. In previous years, the Common Terns have lost many of their chicks to the Great Black-backed Gulls that nest at the back of the lagoon. Perhaps these Common Terns will receive better protection from their Sandwich Terns neighbours.

Common Tern: The drawback is this individual is nesting behind the chicken wire which stops the Sika Deer grazing on the island's vegetation

Common Tern: This Common Tern landed on a post by the Sandwich Tern colony

I was pleased with the last photo. But it was clearly surpassed, when I got back to the quayside to catch the volunteer's boat back to Poole and found this Common Tern sitting on a quay post, right next to the jetty. I've not seen one this close before and it was quite happy to post for a few photos.

Common Tern

Common Tern

28 May 25 - It's That Time Of Year Again On Brownsea - Part 2

The previous Blog Post focused on the first Black-headed Gull chicks on the DWT Brownsea islands. The next species to hatch, on the islands in front of the hides, are the Sandwich Terns. The first Sandwich Terns had hatched just before my previous volunteering Wednesday. However, due to the inclement and cold weather, the chicks remained out of sight on my brief visit to the Tern hide. I was able to spend a bit more time in this hide on my next visit. The weather was better and there were more chicks on view.

Sandwich Tern: One of the chicks enjoying exploring the better weather

Sandwich Tern: Some of the Sandwich Terns were still incubating

If you have the time, the Tern hide is a great location to try and get some flight shots as the Sandwich Terns fly in with Sand Eels. However, leave it too late and they start dropping below the fences, which are there to stop the Sika Deer from getting onto the islands to graze the vegetation.

Sandwich Tern: Returning with a Sand Eel

Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern: Air brakes applied

Sandwich Tern: This individual won't be popular coming in without a Sand Eel

It would be possible to spend hours watching the Sandwich Terns. However, my free time on Brownsea is more limited, as there are always a number of other volunteering activities to focus on. Plus, the Sandwich Terns are always very noisy.

21 May 25 - It's That Time Of Year Again On Brownsea - Part 1

It's that time of year again when the Black-headed Gull chicks are starting to appear. If you haven't visited Brownsea, then there are two hides with a set of islands in front of them which are packed out with breeding Black-headed Gulls, Sandwich and Common Terns. The Black-headed Gulls have probably spent the Winter locally and are first to occupy nesting sites on the islands. In contrast, most of the Sandwich Terns have to fly from West Africa, albeit a handful now Winter locally, with the Common Terns travelling up from Southern Africa. Consequently, the Black-headed Gull chicks appear first. The DWT wardens had seen the first Black-headed Gull chicks almost a week before, but this was my first visit since they had appeared. Despite the rain, these two chicks were keen to experience the outdoors.

My first Black-headed Gull chicks of the season

The Black-headed Gull and Tern chicks are always popular with the volunteers and visitors alike.

21 May 25 - The Brownsea Fisherman

At the end of my volunteering day on the DWT Brownsea reserve, I was waiting on the quay for the volunteer's boat to drop us back to Poole. There was a Little Egret close to the quay feeding at the water's edge. I saw it catch & quickly swallow a small Fish. I couldn't resist taking some photos and within two or three minutes, it had caught and swallowed another three Fish.

Little Egret: This was the second small Fish I saw it catch and quickly swallow

Little Egret: A much larger Fish

Little Egret: It took a bit more effort to move the Fish around in its bill

Little Egret: Going, going, almost gone

Little Egret: That's another Fish caught

Little Egret: It was now only a few metres from the quay

Little Egret: Brownsea was the first place in the UK where Little Egrets bred as they expanded into the UK. That was only 1996 and now they have expanded their range to just about all parts of the UK

The Little Egrets can be very showy around the Brownsea quay when they are around.

7 May 25 - A Spring Day Trip To St Marys With ORCA

I was scheduled to be leading a team of ORCA surveyors from Penzance to St Mary's on 23 Apr 25. Unfortunately, the survey had to be postponed at the last minute, due to a weather warning which predicted three metre seas and thirty knot winds around the islands. Thanks to a hectic period of passenger bookings around the Easter and May Bank holidays, it took a while before the Scillonian could host us, but we were finally on for the first Weds in May. Fortunately, one of the original surveyors, Sarah Matthews, was still able to support the survey and Julie Bunt stepped in at short notice as the third surveyor. It was a quiet crossing with favourable seas and weather, but no Marine Mammal sightings and low number of Seabirds. This was something that the skipper Dave mentioned had been a feature of the last two weeks of mainly Easterly winds. Still it gave the team the chance to setting into the paperwork side of the survey, as well as, following the survey protocol itself. The reality is a survey with no sightings is always useful training and useful data.

Passing close to Peninnis on our approach to Hugh Town

I finished the survey a few minutes later, as we were getting close to our final approach into Hugh Town. This allowed us to get out of the bridge and stand out of the way on the bridge wing. As we were getting approaching the final turn, we saw this nice looking sailing ship. I pointed out a Shag on the water and then raised the bins to have a quick look at it. A good job I did, as it was actually a cracking summer plumage Great Northern Diver.

This sailing ship was moored just outside of Hugh Town Harbour

Great Northern Diver: This is only the second summer plumage Great Northern Diver I've photographed, albeit the first was hardly a summer date given it was 26 Oct 15

We had sailed a few minutes early and arrived about fifteen minutes early thanks to the calm seas.

The ORCA survey team: Myself, Julie Bunt and Sarah Matthews. The photo is published with Sarah's permission and the copyright for the photo remains with Sarah

Our departure time had been brought forward from 16:30 to 15:00. Therefore, there was no time to lose once we got ashore to have a wander around St Mary's. Sarah and Julie were planning to meet up with a friend of Sarah's who lives on St Mary's. My plan was to head to the Old Town Churchyard, walk along Lower Moors and have a quick look at Porthloo Lane, if time permitted.

The island's climate allows many sub-tropical plants to thrive

Old Town Church: I've spent a lot of time looking in the Old Town churchyard trees, but I think the only goodie I've seen in the trees was a Red-eyed Vireo back in the 1980s. Additionally, I did see my first White-speck in the churchyard in Oct 23

The next stop was a quick look at Lower Moors. The pool from the first hide was quiet, except for a pair of Coots feeding three youngsters.

Coot: Adult with small youngster, whilst nervously watching two Herring Gulls on the pool

I carried on along the Lower Moors. The trees and reedbeds were looking great, with singing Warblers, including, a Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, a few Reed Warblers and Blackcaps. Finally, I reached the screen by the Shooter's Pond, where a pair of Moorhens were feeding a couple of youngsters.

Lower Moors: The trail passes through some great-looking trees

Lower Moors: It's never this dry in October

Moorhen: Adult with small youngster

Moorhen: Adult with small youngster

Part of the Lower Moors trail leading to the road at Porthloo Lane

I still had a bit of time to wander down Porthloo Lane. I tried to cut through on the footpath to Porth Mellon beach, but I lost the path and ended up at Harry's Walls. Despite all the days I've spent wandering around on St Mary's in the 1980s, it was my first visit to the site. Harry's Walls are the remains of an unfinished artillery fort, started in 1551 by Edward VI, which was started to defend St Mary's. There was time for a quick photo, before I had to retrace my steps and find the road to Hugh Town.

Harry's Walls: I will have to return for a longer look on a future visit

It's hard to believe this excellent-looking Porthloo garden is in the UK

I had time to grab a coffee before getting back onto the quayside for 14:00. Julie and Sarah appeared soon after and we were quickly back on board the Scillonian. As we were departing Hugh Town there was time for a quick photo of the luxury cruise ship, Le Bellot, that was also visiting the islands that day.

The luxury cruise ship Le Bellot: She had to moor in the channel and ferry passengers ashore

We departed on the route between the islands and the skipper pointed out the regular location where they see Seals in the water around Menawethan, the final island of the Eastern Islands. On range these are going to be Grey Seals, but the four we saw were too far away to specifically confirm their identification, so they were logged as probable Grey Seals. About half way back to Cornwall, Julie and Sarah saw another Seal at sea which was a nice sighting to get. I was surveying from the other bridge wing and missed it. They joys of surveying is you aren't always in the right place to see everything. However, I did pick up a pod of three Short-beaked Common Dolphins as we were close to Mousehole and fortunately, Sarah saw them as well from her bridge wing. It's always good when everybody in the team gets to see at least one sighting on a survey.

I would like to thank the Captain Dave, First Officer Matthew, Purser Gail and the rest of the crew for making us so welcome on the Scillonian. It had been a successful and enjoyable survey.