Black-winged Stilts and a Bonaparte's Gull at Oare Marshes

9th July 2018

I don't normally go to Oare Marshes until the end of July when the water levels are dropping and waders are starting their return passage, but the lure of a family of Black-winged Stilts was too much to resist. The Stilts had bred on a farm on the Isle of Sheppey and had skipped across the Swale, presumably because of the plentiful supply of food, and once relocated seem to be quite settled at the moment.

Whatever time of year you can always be assured of a good showing of Black-tailed Godwits, although numbers are well down at this time of year compared to the autumn and winter. There did, however, seem to be an increase in the number of Little Egrets on site.

 

There were also a few Ruff, all males starting to moult out of their showy summer plumage into their rather dowdy winter plumage.

Avocets are always well represented and as well as the main flock being disturbed on occasions by the herd of cows, were also fairly active with some social interaction. This was sometimes between adults and sometimes between an adult and a young bird, although the reason for the altercation was never really clear.

Now on to the Bonaparte's Gull which has returned for its 6th year and let us start with a comparison photo showing the difference between the Bonaparte's in the foreground and a Black-headed Gull at the back. The Bonaparte's is quite a bit smaller and has a jet black hood compared to the dark brown hood of the Black-headed Gull, and the cap of the Bonaparte's extends to the neck compared to the cap of the Black-headed which extends to the top of the head. All-in-all the Bonaparte's is a much more compact and neater gull.

But of course today the stars of the show were the two adults and two young Black-winged Stilts which were strutting their stuff, albeit a little too distant at times. The male is the bird with the black back and the female with the brown back.

The young birds have speckley brown backs.

Well, another superb day at Oare Marshes and I wonder what the next special bird will be. Either way I will back at the end of the month for the start of autumn migration.