02/05/2022 Pennington Flash

Arctic Tern: Seeing an early report of a little tern at penny I decided to pack up the family in the car and spend the morning locally. 

With Dawn, my mum and Autumn in toe we set off and publed into John Tymon and were soon joined by Colin Davies. 

 

Before the baby got bored we set off with the bribe of an ice cream and a ply on the park (while I go togg some tern). 

These magnificent polar travelers are known to hold the record for the longest migration of any animal in the world, annually making the journey from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle. 

One particularly committed tern made the trip in nearly 60,000 miles, or more than twice the circumference of the planet. Terns rack up all those miles by meandering across oceans and continents rather than flying directly north or south.

During their summer passage they make regular stops to large inland lakes such as Pennington Flash to feed before moving on northwards. 

Little Tern: The little tern remained pretty distant and before I arrived on the other side of the lake the bird had presumably moved on with a  small group of Arctic tern  around noon. 

11/07/2012 Gronant

 Little Tern: Look blue skies, Fantastic!

It was my first day at the Little Tern colony at Gronant as Voluntary warden and the sun was out I was accompanied by some really nice people. I was given an introduction and was trained to learn how to listen out for the birds alarm calls and act when a predator came.



Myself and the other volunteer warden primary role o to deter the Kestrels which have been devastating the colony of late, if we dont help stop them this could be the worst year they have had since Denbighshire Council took over from the RSPB.

Within minutes of my arrival there was an attempted attack from tow Peregrines, how came in low and fast the Little Terns did most of the fending off but Wendy the senior warden went running and shouting toward the killer bird and it soon flew off out of sight.

An hour or so went by then suddenly there was more commotion as we spotted a female kestrel flying in towards the colony, Wendy did here usual thing of running off after the bird and me and another voluntary warden kept out eye on it as it came away from Wendy and flew around the back of us. I then ran off was frantically blowing my whistle, which had very little effect as the bird flew in low and fast and grabbed a Little Tern chick, feeling very disappointed the bird then flew with speed out of sight.

Stone Chat: (male) The people on the site are doing some amazing work and they think there is about 40 chicks still active but if the kestrel attacks continue they may end up with ZERO! Therefore there is an URGENT APEAL FOR MORE VOUONTARY WARDEND, anyone who has some free time please get in touch with Richard (Email below) 

Sedge Warbler: Gronant is a stunning place it’s full of birds and orchids. As I was walking towards the colony I saw two Stone Chat a male and female, Skylark where everywhere and the odd Reed Bunting was spotted over the Reed Beds.





Although we didn’t want to see the Peregrines as they were attempting to take a Little Tern chick it was still nice to see two but the star bird has to be the 50-60 Little Terns.

Soldier Beetle: Marsh Orchids where everywhere looking stunning in the sunshine, with a quick change of lens I was able to get low and close and take this shot. The place was full of active Butterflies, Dragonflies and other insects bit many I was unable to Id.   

********URGENT APEAL FOR MORE VOUONTARY WARDEND*******

richard@deeestuary.co.uk

for details of who to contact

For more info on the Little Tern Colony see
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18179806

24/06/2012 Gronant

Little Tern: Theses excellent little sea birds are back at Gronant.  There are about 100 to 120 breeding pairs here at the moment and a handful of Little Ringed Plover all using the secured and protected fenced RSPB area.

The site is owned and managed by Denbigshire Rangers.





Theses little stunners are very active and where feeding just meters off shore.

Bee Orchid: I stumbled along this cracking tiny flower among the sand dunes and I was very pleased as this was another life tick.


I started the walk to the Tern colony from Point of Aye which was full of Pyramidal Orchids, Skylark and the odd Reed Bunting but only came across one Bee Orchid.




The Orchid was a little bit passed its sell buy date but was still looking stunning among the grasses of the dunes.

For those who don’t know, theses amazing wild British Orchids produce a pheromone which mimics that of a female bee and has evolved to produce a flower which is meant to resemble a bee to attract male bees.

The bees then attempts to mate with the flower and in so doing transfer pollen between plants. Although here in Britain it is thought that bee orchids only reproduce asexually and the species of bee that the flower evolved to attract is not found here.

Marsh Orchid: Theses have been long in flower at Gronant alongside the boggy parts and naer the ponds. This one I came across was huge, the flower head was at least 50cm.

Pyramidal Orchids where also in flower and in very god numbers all over Gronant, there where everywhere really along that coast sand dune path.