Bird Id - Tern?

schermuly · #1 (**permalink**) 22-11-2009, 04:46 PM

hello, just about sunset at East Preston beach today and bad stormy weather, I was looking for treasure and instread (or perhaps not) came across about 6 beautiful birds. They were bigger than the terns I have seen in the past, and had quite distinctive black and white pattern on them almost magpie like, long beaks like a tern, sorry I don't know much about birds but thought I would find them easily on the nspb site, and they don't look like anything on there... any ideas anyone? Sorry didn't have camera to hand.

david156 · #2 (**permalink**) 22-11-2009, 04:50 PM

Hi and welcome to WAB.

Could they be Juv. gannets? Google some pictures and have a look.

Cheers David

aeshna5 · #3 (**permalink**) 22-11-2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by david156

Hi and welcome to WAB.

Could they be Juv. gannets? Google some pictures and have a look.

Cheers David

Maybe not juveniles, but possibly immature or even adult Gannet does sound a possibility for the ID.

Picidae · #4 (**permalink**) 22-11-2009, 06:39 PM

Where they sitting on the actual beach, far out at sea, diving from the air, or in the water? Perhaps a description of what they were doing might help ..
I can think of a few possibilities although I agree Gannet sounds very likely if they were diving like terns or perched on cliffs ... did you see them with binoculars or bare eye?

http://www.gobirding.eu/Images/Seabi...%20(8)%20L.JPG

http://ontfin.com/Word/wp-content/up...ill_flight.jpg

http://home.lyse.net/vetterli/07.05....(Medium)_w.jpg

http://kayakfishinguk.files.wordpres...2/pc070089.jpg

richnfamous · #5 (**permalink**) 22-11-2009, 08:00 PM

Magpie-like? Did they have long red bills and red legs?

If so, they could be oystercatchers:

The RSPB: Oystercatcher

schermuly · #6 (**permalink**) 22-11-2009, 11:39 PM

hello thank you all so much for your replies. I was very excited about the gannets as I so want to find out what they are, but sadly not them. they had quite thin long beaks and they were either dark brown or black with same colour legs. They were quite round in shap, with round heads and I was walking along the shore line as tide was going out. they were standing (is that correct?!) perched on the shingle on my route as there was no one else around it was raining and a force 7-8! they flew when i got near them and then just landed behind me, I stood in awe for quite a while so got a good look at them, there were about 6 or 7 just standing around not feeding or anything. I thought how lucky I had been and decided they would be easily found on the rspb site as I know nothing really about birds, and alas here I am. Will always carry a camera with me from now on! thanks for your help. victoria

Picidae · #7 (**permalink**) 23-11-2009, 12:31 AM

behaviour sounds very much like Turnstone or Ringed Plover - leg colour and bill colour can be deceptively dark in poor light ie. legs while 'orange' can look brown and not noticeably bright.

Have a browse through these:

Turnstone:

Iris

Ringed Plover

Iris

Little Ringed Plover
Iris

schermuly · #8 (**permalink**) 23-11-2009, 11:53 AM

Hi thanks for your reply. Yes I thought a plover after looking for hours last night! it could be but..... the beak looked much longer and thinner than in the picture, I wonder if they could have been 'grey phalarope' is this possible? anyway going down later today with my camera, what are the chances!?????

Jonners · #9 (**permalink**) 23-11-2009, 03:24 PM

Howabout Dunlin or maybe even Sanderling? I believe they are more likely than a group of Phalaropes, which I think spend most of their time on the water anyway, and are not at all common.

Picidae · #10 (**permalink**) 23-11-2009, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schermuly

Hi thanks for your reply. Yes I thought a plover after looking for hours last night! it could be but..... the beak looked much longer and thinner than in the picture, I wonder if they could have been 'grey phalarope' is this possible? anyway going down later today with my camera, what are the chances!?????

Did you check out the Turnstone pics on the link above? Your description of 'Magpie' like black and white plumage etc would suggest to me they weren't Dunlin/Sanderling/or other small caldrids. Grey Phals don't usually travel in groups and in rougher weather are usually found in puddles/shallow 'still' water feeding on larva/insects not on beaches in gales!

Anyway, here's one of mine from last year for you to compare

If they were Ringed Plover or Turnstone, very likely they will still be around, so I agree, without a pic, I'm afraid we won't be able to help much further I don't think.

Are you sure they weren't gulls or Sandwich Tern?!