Silly question

[Kenn]

I was thinking the other day. as one some times does and it occured to me that although one sees myriads of waders,gulls ,ducks etc. along the shore and estuaries when the tide is low, at high tide there are none there.
Now just where do they all go? Have seen oyster catchers and various gulls on green fields but not any of the others.

[Kevin Milkins]

I was thinking the other day. as one some times does and it occured to me that although one sees myriads of waders,gulls ,ducks etc. along the shore and estuaries when the tide is low, at high tide there are none there.
Now just where do they all go? Have seen oyster catchers and various gulls on green fields but not any of the others.

Thats a very good question LIZZ.

I don't have an answear,:confused but a good question all the same.

[nirofo]

Hi Lizz

I think the majority will find somewhere to form a communal roost, probably at the high water mark or estuary, many as you say find their way onto the fields to feed or rest up.

Here's a photo of a communal roost of mainly Oystercatchers.

Oystercatcher Roost.
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o71/nirofo/Birds/Oystercatcherroost.jpg

nirofo.

[Kenn]

Makes sense where you have open estuaries surrounded by salt marsh etc. as in East Anglia. The Severn Estuary and similar areas but am still some what bemused by the whole thing as appart from the dunes there seem to be few suitable sites up here.I will be very impressed when I stumble over a roost of Dunlins,Ringed Plovers,Turnstones,Red and Green Shanks etc.
Like you nirofo have often seen large gatherings of Oyster Catchers away from the shore and Curlews but not the smaller birds.
By the way just what sort of Tern is that in with the flock?

[nirofo]

Makes sense where you have open estuaries surrounded by salt marsh etc. as in East Anglia. The Severn Estuary and similar areas but am still some what bemused by the whole thing as appart from the dunes there seem to be few suitable sites up here.I will be very impressed when I stumble over a roost of Dunlins,Ringed Plovers,Turnstones,Red and Green Shanks etc.
Like you nirofo have often seen large gatherings of Oyster Catchers away from the shore and Curlews but not the smaller birds.
By the way just what sort of Tern is that in with the flock?


The large majority of waders travel further south or down the east coast where there are easier pickings. You can still see large flocks of Curlew, Golden Plover, Lapwings etc, probing about in the local fields. Some of the fields between Gills and John 'O' Groats usually have good numbers at this time of year, in fact on Tuesday there were several largish groups of Redshank, Curlew and Lapwings in the fields. The flat rocky areas around Reay Harbour, Dounreay castle, Castlehill and Groats have variable sized parties of Purple Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Turnstone and Oystercatcher at the moment. You're never going to get the large wintering flocks you get further south, we just don't have the mud flats for them to probe for food. At high tide you will have to look carefully among the rocks and rock pools above the high tide line, the birds are there but are more scattered and can take some locating; especially as they tend to snooze until the tide turns.

TheTern is a Sandwich Tern, the roost is at Loch Fleet, a very good spot to visit between now and April. Quite a good few rarities have turned up here from time to time.

nirofo,

[Kenn]

Many thanks nirofo.
Have spotted a few gatherings out along the Groats road, there were a large number of curlews there a few days back just along from Gills also seen several large flocks of lapwings in various places although, I tend to think of them as a land bird rather than a shore one.
Will be following the tides the next few days and taking a more detailed interest in the landward side when it's high.

[the_count]

hmm nirofo judging from the birds in the photo i would think it was taken between march and september this year:D I didn't realize sandwich terns stopped this far north but there is one in your picture at the back of the oyster catchers. The ducks on the water are wigeon by the looks of it:D

[nirofo]

hmm nirofo judging from the birds in the photo i would think it was taken between march and september this year:D I didn't realize sandwich terns stopped this far north but there is one in your picture at the back of the oyster catchers. The ducks on the water are wigeon by the looks of it:D


The photo was taken at the beginning of March 3 years ago.

There are, (or were) several colonies of Sandwich Tern in the far north, Stroma being one noteable site for Caithness, others have been more sporadic across the north coast in the last few years. Regular colonies of most Terns are now a thing of the past, as it is with most sea bird colonies. Food is the limiting factor, and the gross overfishing of Sandeels, sprats and other whitebait for fertiliser and fishmeal has decimated these birds almost into oblivion.

The ducks are Wigeon, this is a good site for finding the odd good duck, in fact there was a Black Duck present when this photo was taken, unfortunately I didn't get the opportunity to photograph it.

nirofo.

[sprint95m]

You can still see large flocks of Curlew, Golden Plover, Lapwings etc, probing about in the local fields. Some of the fields between Gills and John 'O' Groats usually have good numbers at this time of year, in fact on Tuesday there were several largish groups of Redshank, Curlew and Lapwings in the fields. The flat rocky areas around Reay Harbour, Dounreay castle, Castlehill and Groats have variable sized parties of Purple Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Turnstone and Oystercatcher at the moment.
Since a few weeks before Christmas, there have been large flocks of lapwings and golden plovers in the parks alongside the A99 towards the southern end of Loch Hempriggs. Some redshanks too.
Also, on the foreshore north of Staxigoe Harbour I have seen in previous years huge flocks of lapwings with curlews and possibly golden plovers. However, when I was last there about a month ago I didn't notice any.

During the winter, there are usually turnstones at Longberry (south of Wick). These are almost tame. They won't quite take strips of fish from your hand but will run around your feet if you stand still.