| Joined: | Wed Apr 18th, 2012 |
| Location: | United Kingdom |
| Posts: | 4204 |
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Amazing Jeff, never seen one like that before.
I can see why the RSPB are guarding the Terns 24 Hrs a day.
Back in the 1980s I spent several nights on the NNorfolk beach as a protection warden for the Little Terns that nest there.
The reason for 24 hour in our case was two fold....first, egg collectors (they are prized trophies) don't work 9 til 5...quite the reverse! Second Little Terns make a scrape in the sand/shingle beach making their eggs almost indistinguishable from pebbles....til you step on one. But they are a stupid bird. They make the scrape below high water. So in Norfolk at least, twice a day for several days over the peak breeding time the high tide can wash out the nests....destroying the eggs.
So we as wardens use to mark the scrapes, lift the eggs and keep them warm in our pockets tilll the tide receded enough to replace them. Mums came back blissfully unaware their offsprings had been in human pockets rather than under the cold North Sea.
It's no wonder they are on the endangered list which such poor field craft!
Last edited on Wed May 30th, 2012 11:09 by Eric
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Eric