A Turnstone Tale 22/03/2011

One of my local patches is Foulney Island. It is an island joined to the mainland by a causeway which is covered at high tide.  This gives the waders some protection from casual disturbance by dog walkers etc. Below is a series of three pictures.  The first one shows a Turnstone in summer plumage that has, just gone over, to use a flower arranging term. The second shows a bird still in winter plumage, plus ring.  This was taken last week .  The bird appeared tired possibly from a long migration flight. As I approached what appeared to be  another ring was on the same leg but above the knee.  I was unsure at what I may have seen.  The B.T.O. have not ringed this species on the tarsus for many years .  This made the bird almost certainly one with a foreign ring. I decided to move the bird gently along the beach.  It hopped along on the other leg for 5 minutes.  I did not want it to fly, just put it's other leg down. I thought the bird I was looking at was a one legged Turnstone and I had got it mixed up within the flock with the first bird.  Eventually it swapped legs although I did not see it do this and then it flew into the centre of the flock.  Only when I got home and viewed my shots did I see the flag on the tibia.  This is a white flag and that denotes a Canadian ringed bird probably Ellesmere Island.  I have sent off the details and am awaiting confirmation  

Summer Plumage

Winter Plumage Notice Ring

White Flag On Tibia

Purple Sandpipers - 23/03/2011

Not seen as often as they used to be, and normally on rocky headlands, it was a surprise to see three birds in a small flock of Ruddy Turnstone.Only the second time on Foulney Island I hve even seen Purple Sandpipers. I  have been waiting for some time to get photographs and conditions were perfect. Close approach was possible as they and the Turnstone were exhausted. Two tricks were used. They will let you get close if they have the sun in their eyes and if you are at the edge or in the water.  

Decided To Leave The Sleeping Turnstone  In The Shot

As Drawn In Bird Field Guides

Wet Stones Always Improve Photographs

Greenshank

This shot shows how elegant they are even when stretching

Included to show fish

My best shot where you can see the legs

Turnstone

A goose stepping juvenile

 This photo. of adults was taken whilst stalking Sanderling

This juvenile looks as if it has flown into a door.

Sanderling

One of the last common waders on my list to get a photograph of.

They should be running in and out of the sea on a sandy beach.

I got a lot closer by lying on the stones than sitting in my hide which they would not approach.

Black-winged Stilts

The top picture shows two birds fighting or going through a preamble to mating. the second photo is simply three inelegant poses in one.

Redshank

Taken on Foulney not one of my favourite waders too noisy.

Ringed Plover

Distant photograph. but published to show the size of grubs on Askam Slag Bank

Masked Lapwing

Cairns Australia

Little Ringed Plover

Secret location in the Midlands

Black-tailed Godwit

This Juvenile is one of many that summer at Marshside near Southport.

Knot

Taken off Foulney Island (CWT)

Kentish Plovers

Adult and Juvenile taken in Majorca. Global Warming may see these breeding in numbers in the UK.

Curlew and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Greenshank

Taken at Leighton Moss (RSPB)

Spotted Redshank

The top and second bottom show the bird in the darker breeding plumage. The other two photographs are of a bird that wintered on the Duddon and show the lighter phase plumage.

Common Sandpiper

Definitely worth clicking on to enlarge. Taken at Marshside (RSPB)

Snipe

Note the Top photo. If you click on the photo and enlarge it, you can see the device which is part of the tongue that helps the bird pull food down into the crop.

Black-winged Stilt

This photograph was taken in Majorca. There will be more of these as they so photographic.

Avocet

This was taken at the R.S.P.B. Marshside Reserve near Southport. The birds breed in front of the main hide. It is a reserve best visited in the winter at the time of high tide.