Four ages of Meds

After a wet start, the rain pretty much, held off for the rest of the day. Westerly wind and overcast.

South wall (MD)

Mid morning, tide almost out

No terns on outflows

Whimbrel 1

Mediterranean gull:

One adult on beach near No.2 outflow.

Two adult and 3 x 3rd calendar year on Red Nab.

The two adult and 3 x 3cy Meds decided it was feeding time and flew from Red Nab to the sand mason worm bed on beach near wooden jetty.

When I got to the beach near wooden jetty, the third adult and 2 x 2nd calendar year birds were also on the sand mason worm bed. Unfortunately, this year, the densest area of worms is near the water’s edge - not good for ring reading, although none of today’s birds had darvic rings.

Evening, an hour before high water.

Common Tern - At 18:10 there were 5 adult on No.1 outflow.

At 18:20 they were joined by a sixth adult which came from No.2 outflow direction.

A quick look at No.2 outflow found no more, and by the time I returned to No.1. All the terns were gone. It looks like timing is critical, they disappeared just after the tide was higher than the outflow sides.

Three of the Common Tern.

Mediterranean gull

There was an adult and juvenile feeding together on No.1 outflow

Detail of the juvenile 

So the day’s total:

Juvenile 1

2cy 2

3cy 3

Adult 4 (assuming this evening’s bird was different to this morning’s)