24/08/2015 A Temminck's Stint and 2 Black Terns

 Monday 24th August 2015
ARC Hanson Hide, Dungeness, Kent

Despite the atrocious weather and the fact we have 2 dogs to look after for a couple of weeks, I managed to get down to Dungeness to twitch" the Temminck's Stint that was flagged on RareBirdAlert early this afternoon.  Incredibly this was a "lifer" for me after several near misses in the past.

Temminck's Stint
Library picture

By way of a bonus, there were 2 juvenile Black Terns showing well on one of the nearer islands.



Juvenile Black Tern
Library picture



Additions to BUBO UK 2015 Bird List:
Temminck's Stint   (247)
Black Tern   (248)

Additions to BUBO UK Life List:
Temminck's Stint   (298)



Temminck's Stint

• This is a tiny, greyish-brown wading bird with a white belly. The bill is short and used for probing into muddy shorelines.
• Temminck's stints occur mainly by freshwater marshes, pools and lakes in the UK, although they also visit creeks and lagoons in estuaries. The species breeds mostly in the Arctic and is rare in this country, breeding at a few secret sites in Scotland.
• Temminck's stints pass through the UK between May and mid-June and again between the end of July and October; most birds are seen here in May.

Black Tern

• A small tern with an all-black head and body, contrasting with grey wings, back and tail in spring; autumn birds have grey upperparts, white underparts and distinctive black head markings. Feeds by dipping down and picking food from the surface of water. Has occasionally bred in the UK.
• Best looked for in May, on spring passage, and from July to September on autumn passage