Probable Gull-billed Tern, Shapwick
Gull-billed tern still there at 1pm today. On a small trunk, just above the water-line, near the centre of Noah’ Lake. Surrounded by 40+ swifts.
By the scrape, various egrets, hobby, bitterns and cuckoo calling loudly. No sign of the purple heron.
Thanks Jeff really good view. The Purple Heron was within 10 metres of where you and I saw one in 2007! That was a Shapwick NNR first for me back then.
That was a very good morning’s birding Martin. I’ve uploaded a short video of the Gull-billed Tern to YouTube which, if interested, can be seen by clicking on the link below.
Thanks for the reports. I made it round to Shapwick NNR this morning from 8.15 and well worth it. A flight view of a Bittern on my way past the Tower hide. Good views of the Gull-billed Tern from Noah’s hide and then, as I walked back to Meare Heath, a Purple Heron flew across and landed on the reed covered first pool from where we had good views of it standing in the reedbed. Many thanks to Dean Reeves and his ‘scope. Then to finish a Kingfisher flew past. Like Stephen, the GBT was a first in UK for me although I had seen a lot on a Danube cruise a few years back.
Gull-billed Tern showing well at Noah’s Lake several times today - seems to do a circuit and head off elsewhere every hour or so! New Uk and Somerset tick for me!
Gull-billed Tern was seen again this afternoon at Greylake at 12:15PM. I didn’t see it myself but it was seen by 7+ observers I spoke to and apparently flew east after circling over a meadow just north of the Treehouse Hide.
I had one Red Kite and 3 Yellow Wagtail fly over. There was a very active Hobby present too.
A few details for anyone interested in a probable Gull-billed Tern seen at Shapwick Heath today:
Sean D had a glimpse of it at around 5pm [corrected, wasn’t 4pm] close in from Noah’s hide. Bill appeared short and dark, and it was obviously not a light-weight marsh tern or Little. It simply flew south along the edge of the lake, not bothering to check out the lake at all. The glimpse was enough to prompt Sean to check out the closest ploughed field…
At 7pm, it flew onto Decoy from Noah’s direction. Light was perfect and flying straight towards the hide at tree-top height, it appeared to me as a crisp black and white tern with a perfect summer plumage black cap and no hints of red on the bill or smokiness to the underparts (e.g. zero contrast between cheek and breast). It continued towards me for quite a while and I presumed that at some stage, I’d be treated to excellent views. Even head on, the bill looked jet black and short.
Unfortunately, Decoy was not to its liking either and it turned right/north flying off over the tree line towards the Roughet. In the few seconds of side-on viewing, the head and bill looked the same – perfect black cap, short black bill – the upperwing looked good for adult GBT (but also OK for Common although there was no dark wedge) and the tail appeared to be short with no streamers.
I couldn’t clinch rump or tail colour unfortunately, and I’m only 90% sure there were no streamers, at distance with such a brief view. I didn’t note a strong dark bar on the underside of the primaries either. I didn’t really consider size but it was clearly not tiny like Little, or whispish like a marsh tern. In fact, the flight was steady and powerful compared to Common, and it looked less buoyant.
I didn’t even consider Sandwich Tern until someone mentioned the species to me later (and I’m confident it wasn’t one).
All adds up but without nailing the rump and tail…