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The Friends of Hilbre: Progress and Plans |
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The Rangers' leaflet, currently at the printers, is based partly on information from Friends, and we have produced our own simpler guided walk. Local people have been very interested to see our displays at Open Days in Wirral: Ashton Park, Port Sunlight History Day, West Kirby Library. Talks to local groups have helped to raise funds and spread information. Sue Craggs July 2002 |
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During July to September the raucous call - kirrik, kirrik - of the Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis) is ever present in the mouth of the estuary.
Of the three local species of terns the Sandwich start and finish breeding much earlier than the Common or Little, often leaving the breeding colonies as early as late June. But unlike the other two species the Sandwich Tern doesn't actually breed on the estuary, the nearest colonies being forty miles away at Cemlyn Bay on Anglesey, and Morecambe Bay to the north. Cemlyn Bay typically has 460 pairs and Morecambe Bay 290 pairs, and no doubt birds from across the Irish Sea and further north also pass through. It is typical of this species to disperse rapidly away from breeding colonies to areas like the Dee Estuary. The sea at the mouth of the estuary is full of nutrients which makes for good fishing and they use the many sand banks as secure roosts to rest on after the rigours of breeding. From mid-July to mid-August there can be several thousand present.
The table below shows
some typical counts over the past couple of years from the prime locations for
observing this spectacular influx:
Best time for most sites is an hour or two either side of high tide, but at Hilbre low tide can be very good when the terns are roosting on the sand around the island. These are also excellent places to see other species of terns and gulls, the Common Tern numbers peaking late August and early September. From August onwards the Sandwich Terns start moving south to their wintering grounds off Africa. First year birds tend to stay off West Africa where many also spend the following summer. Most older birds winter further south in the Gulf of Guinea and even as far as the Cape of Good Hope. The first returning birds arrive back here early April. Material for the above article came
from the following sources:
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Wetland Bird Survey Count for Heswall Shore - (Kindly provided by the Wirral Ranger Service). 17th
July.
Wetland Bird Survey Count for
Connah's Quay and Flint - (Kindly provided by Brian Grey). 14th July.
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July Bird News | ||
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The Marsh Sandpiper at
Inner Marsh Farm was undoubtedly the most exciting bird of the month, it
stayed at the reserve for nine days towards the end of the month. This wader
breeds in temperate regions right across what was the USSR, wintering mainly
in Africa and India and is a rare vagrant this far west. There have been
plenty of the fresh water loving Green Sandpipers with up to 6 at
Inner Marsh Farm and 5 on Shotwick fields all month. One, may be two, Wood Sandpipers
were heard calling whilst flying over West Kirby late one evening.
The Little Terns at Gronant have had a successful season. By the
end of July 53 young had fledged and another 9 chicks were still waiting to fly.
Oystercatchers and Ringed Plovers also successfully bred at Gronant
this
year. At Shotton the
Common Terns increased yet again to a record 555 pairs. However bad
weather at the end of May hit the chicks at their most vulnerable when
only a few days old and unfortunately half died. But they still managed to
fledge 450, not bad in a 'poor' year! Sandwich Terns have been much in
evidence with over a thousand at both Hilbre Island and
Gronant, and 570
on West Kirby shore. It has been an excellent month for Arctic
Skuas, sometimes hardly seen at all in July. I watched four harassing a flock of 40
Gannets and large numbers of terns and gulls for over an hour just a few
yards off the north end of Hilbre, six were seen on another day. Three were
off Red Rocks and another two at Gronant. Four Spoonbills came
into
Inner Marsh Farm and Burton Marsh, one stayed at Parkgate Boathouse Flash
for 8 days. Also at Inner Marsh Farm five Avocets paid a brief visit, a
record for this site, probably some of the birds which have bred so successfully
in the north-west this summer. The nearby Shotwick fields have had a Quail
calling all month and at least one Corn Bunting. Little Egrets are starting
to flood in, so far 12 at
Inner Marsh Farm and 7 at Parkgate (not at the same
time) - this time last year, just one! Will we get 30 by the end of August? The
latest Clwyd Bird Report has just been published. This can be purchased by
sending a cheque for £6:00 (includes p&p) made out to Clwyd Bird
Recording Group to Anne Brenchley, Ty'r Fawnog, 43 Blackbrook, Sychdyn, Mold,
Flintshire CH7 6LT, or ring 01352 750118 for info. What
to expect in August: Waders will be coming through in good numbers, some are
high arctic breeders which leave the young behind as soon as they are old
enough to find food for themselves - this avoids the adults competing with
their own young. These will include Knot, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper and
Sanderling all of which winter far to the south in west and south Africa (the
birds of these species which over winter here arrive much later in the year).
Species such as Redshank, Curlew and Oystercatcher, many of which breed in
this country, or comparatively close by in Iceland, also build up rapidly in
number. Many may well stay here all winter or just to the south in France or Spain.
Now something of a Dee specialty the Greenshank passage is best seen at Parkgate
Boathouse Flash where numbers will increase by the end of the month to as many as
80 or more - a remarkable number for this uncommon species. Another wader to look out
for is the Grey Plover, looking gorgeous in their silver and black summer
plumage. Little Egrets return for the winter, last August they
reached 16, more than double the previous record. It is going to be
fascinating to see whether they can maintain this rapid rise in numbers.
Many raptors pass through on their way south - in particularly Marsh Harriers
at Inner Marsh Farm and Burton Marsh. |
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Forthcoming Events | ||
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August Highest Spring Tides Forthcoming Events (organised by the
Wirral Ranger Service, Flintshire Countryside Service and/or the
RSPB):
Friday 9th August 8:00am, In Search of Terns. Saturday 7th September 9:00am Greenshanks & Goldfinches. Saturday 7th September 10:30am - 12:30pm
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