North Beach trips

On Friday evening 9th August, seeing Danny P & Andrew E, we noted an immature Arctic Tern close in on the groynes and had 4 Arctic Skua flying around far out to see, one of the distant pair did sport a pale belly, so it was a pale phase individual. On Saturday 10th August rushed down for the Roseate, it had flown off 5 minutes ago. but we enjoyed seeing an immature Arctic Tern on the closest groyne post but we had to leave it when James B arrived. He did very well by spotting the Tern a long way off. It was perched on a horizontal bar of a groyne. When we walked up there was some confusion as where to the Rosy was until we walked a few steps right or left and it could be seen behind a post that originally obscured it. The excellent Roseate Tern sported typically very pale white upper parts, with a full black bill with just a hint of red at the base and 1 silver ring on its legs. In Saturday late morning, the squeeling of the unfortunate House Martins I saw a female Sparrowhawk pluck a House Martin from the air and fly in a south westerly direction directly over the garden. A great pity it had to take one of our House Martins, I hope the brood won't suffer and there is another parent able to feed them. This Saturday 17th August, saw Nick B but failed to see any unusual Terns, a female Sparrowhawk flew low over th car park. 30 Turnstone were feeding very close and included 5 immaculate summer plumaged individuals.