Dominic Couzens On Twite
Bird Watching|March 2017

A hardy bird that has adapted well to the unforgiving environment of bitterly cold and windswept estuaries.

Dominic Couzens On Twite

ONE OF THE great sights of birding is the mass of waders on an estuary, flying back and forth around high tide. There is something satisfying about appreciating how waders roost in large numbers when the tide is high, but go back on to the mud once the tide falls, and how different waders then spread out over different kinds of ooze. Over the years, I have been so overwhelmed by the sumptuous shorebird displays, that I tend to overlook other birds that are affected by the depth of water.

Several categories are: estuarine wildfowl, especially Shelducks and Brent Geese; cormorants and, to a lesser extent, gulls and terns. All these are wedded to tidal cycles. And then, how about a left-field addition to this list, a bird that you wouldn’t instantly assume was in such company – the Twite?

It doesn’t have long legs, or a long bill. But, in parts of its range, it is just as much an estuarine bird as the most committed Redshank or Dunlin. Rather than seeking out worms, crustaceans or molluscs in the mud itself, however, the Twite subsists on the seeds of estuarine plants that grow in patches regularly inundated by the tide, especially the Glassworts (Salicornia spp) and Seablite (Suaeda maritima).

The Twite feeds by hopping over the mud and perching on the plants themselves. However, it can only do this when the tide allows. As the water comes in, flocks of Twite feeding far out on the mud, usually without competition from other shoreline seed-eaters such as Snow Buntings and Shore Larks, are forced towards the inner saltmarsh. At high water, they will feed in adjacent fields, often flocking with these other birds, and even Linnets.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 2017-Ausgabe von Bird Watching.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 2017-Ausgabe von Bird Watching.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS BIRD WATCHINGAlle anzeigen
Bird Watching

Weedon's World

Recent trips to a couple of his favourite local birding sites have resulted in encounters Mike would rather do without

time-read
3 Minuten  |
October 2017
Bird Watching

Bee-Eater Breeding

There was much speculation online about why a Bee-eater breeding effort in Nottingham had failed. Here, we attempt to get to the truth by speaking to those in the know… 

time-read
3 Minuten  |
October 2017
Bird Watching

Grumpy Old Birder

Bo reveals the pleasure he gets watching birds and wildlife enjoy an ‘all-you-can-eat buffet’ in his garden…

time-read
2 Minuten  |
October 2017
Bird Watching

#My 200 Bird Year 2018

If you’ve enjoyed trying to complete our #My200BirdYear challenge in 2017, or if you’ve been watching with interest but biding your time, or if you’re a complete newcomer to  Bird Watching magazine, then now’s the time to sign up for #My200BirdYear 2018 at birdwatching.co.uk/my200 

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 2017
HOLME
Bird Watching

HOLME

Varied habitats and one of the UK’s top observatories

time-read
2 Minuten  |
March 2018
Backbury Hill
Bird Watching

Backbury Hill

A walk to a multi-vallate hillfort with birds on the way

time-read
1 min  |
March 2018
Castlemartin Corse
Bird Watching

Castlemartin Corse

A relic of a once-great wetland 

time-read
2 Minuten  |
March 2018
Lend A Helping Hand
Bird Watching

Lend A Helping Hand

Wildlife centres can often be the only venues for many to see birds close up. Here, one volunteer explains the important work they carry out.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
March 2017
Bringing Back The Tree Sparrow
Bird Watching

Bringing Back The Tree Sparrow

The story of how one man helped establish a Tree Sparrow colony around his Suffolk home.

time-read
6 Minuten  |
March 2017
The Urban Birder Visits Ushuaia, Argentina
Bird Watching

The Urban Birder Visits Ushuaia, Argentina

A wide variety of interesting birds can be seen in the world’s most southernmost city.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
March 2017