Teesmouth Bird Club

Saw these on a recent trip to the Algarve (last week) - I have some ideas but any independent input to their ID would be much appreciated.

They were in low scrub near coastal cliffs on the Sagres peninsula in SW Portugal; they were reasonably obliging (but back lighting doesn't help the photos), were about blackcap size and were silent.

Many thanks

Thanks for the link Jamie - have followed up and will hopefully be successful

I am trying to acquire a Canon 400mm f5.6 lens for a friend - please contact me if you have one or know someone who has one for sale.

Many thanks.

Lens now sold.

I'm selling my Sigma 150-500mm zoom lens as I've bought the Canon 400mm lens.

It is in good condition with only some scuff marks on the lens hood.

Optically and mechanically sound with no apparent defects - has both end caps and padded carrying case.

Derbyshire based but come to Hartlepool/Teesmouth area frequently so easy for me to meet at Saltholme or Hartlepool at weekends.

I'm asking 350 pounds.

It puts it into context slightly when an over-eager birder/photographer (quite rightly) gets lambasted if he strays off the path and causes unnecessary stress to a bird yet these guys can come along and just shoot them and there doesn't seem to be anything we can do about it - the disturbance to the birds and stress caused must be immense. Is there any control as to which species they can kill (and is there any monitoring or control?). The chances of any flighty rarities hanging around once shooting starts must be virtually nil!

Also, the fact they use the word 'Conservation' in the name of a shooting club is just taking the proverbial.

Surely it is illegal to carry out vegetation clearance on such a scale during the bird nesting season.

After reading your reply, Renton, I did a bit of on-line research and found the following on the INCA website - total failure of the colony it would seem which explains the complete lack of birds yesterday - very bad news indeed!

A DISASTROUS YEAR FOR THE CRIMDON LITTLE TERNS
After a record breaking success in 2011 with nearly 150 chicks produced from 64 pairs of nesting birds 2012 started looking very good.

At the end of May over 60 pairs were sitting on eggs.  High tides at the beginning of June did not strike us as they did the two colonies to the north. Some of the Lindisfarne and Long Nanny birds relocated to join our colony for a second attempt and by the second week in June we had a record 110 pairs sitting on the beach. That is when things took a turn for the worse.

As soon as chicks started to appear so did the kestrel, possibly the very same bird as devastated the colony two years ago.  Chicks did not survive on the beach more than a day or two.  To add insult a sparrow hawk appeared and started taking adult birds and between the two the colony became mayhem.  By the end of June terns started abandoning leaving eggs and chicks behind.  Crows walked freely though the colony by the first week in July cleaning up the abandoned eggs without being mobbed.

At this point in early July it looks like there will be no chicks surviving to fly out to Africa from our colony

Does anyone know how the little terns have fared at Crimdon this year?

I know it's late in the season but I called by today and, apart from one or two passing over the sea, I didn't see a single little tern - not even any juvs on the beach.

On the other hand, the common terns seem to be doing very well at teesmouth - there are still many many birds present at the various sites and still feeding chicks (some still appeared to be sitting on eggs)!

Thanks for the response Ian - you are the proverbial mine of information!

This curlew was on Seaton Common on Saturday - I notice the colours are different from that shown in the Hartlepool Mail. Has this one been seen around previously?

I have sent you an e-mail regarding the lens.

Cheers

Andy

Thanks Mark, you have confirmed the conclusion I had reached.

20 to 30 of these passed Hartlepool on Friday evening (17th) between 17:30 and 18:45. Weather was very clear with occasional sun, wind was NW and there was a heavy swell. All flew north (right to left as you look at pics) and I assumed they were sooties at the time. However, looking at the photos, the underwing pattern has thrown some doubt on this assumption - juv gannets perhaps? (Although, if they were gannets, it would seem strange that only first year birds were passing and they just didn't look gannet like). All of them flew in typical shearwater fashion barely going more than a couple of feet above the water.  Sorry about picture quality - combination of distance, equipment and technique.

Any comments?

Also passing were 1 manxie, 1 bonxie and thousands of kittiwakes.

I'm off to France at the weekend for a family holiday, staying between Bordeaux and Angouleme. If anyone knows of any good sites in the area I would be most grateful. Brenne is the obvious one but I don't know of any others (apart from at the coast).

Thanks in anticipation.