Kittiwakes, gulls and a sand martin surprise on trip to Suffolk coast
Nature Notes Martin Walters writes about a trip with Bob Jarman to the Suffolk coast.
Recently we spent a few days on the Suffolk coast, near Lowestoft, returning via Southwold. Although we were with our daughter and two active and demanding grandchildren, I had smuggled in my binoculars hoping to get the odd exit visa to do some birdwatching. I succeeded!
Our ‘villa’ was on a site just north of Lowestoft with a marvellous view over the open sea. Between bouts of crazy golf, tennis, and football I gazed out from above the low cliffs and noted the passing birds. Rather to my surprise there were large numbers of sand martins, which I watched as they swooped along the cliff edge, sometimes landing on the lawn to pick up insects or spiders.
There is a regular colony of sand martins here, breeding in holes excavated in the sea cliffs. The dainty birds were very active and fed voraciously, no doubt building up reserves for their migration south to sub-Saharan Africa. By now most will have departed.
I rarely get to see sand martins at such close quarters and could appreciate the subtle markings of these our smallest ‘swallows’ that often seem so drab at distance.
One day I had my binoculars focussed on a group that suddenly jinked sideways as a larger bird came into view. It was a hobby, twisting sideways as it tried to catch one of the martins, causing havoc among them, before giving up and continuing its journey up the coast.
Hobbies are one of few species able to catch swallows and martins in flight – even swifts.
Herring and lesser black-backed gulls were a regular sight patrolling the shore, making full use of the updraughts of wind deflected by the cliffs, and thus saving energy by soaring.
They are often very bold and have learned to snatch food from picnics and café tables. We also saw a few of their larger cousins, great black-backed gulls. They are more solitary and are seen less often on beaches and around people, being more likely to be spotted over the open sea or at harbours.
On a drive through Lowestoft for another day on the beach we marvelled at the sight and sound of small colonies of kittiwakes nesting on some of the older buildings close to the harbour.
Kittiwakes are a protected and declining species but are not always popular as their droppings gather on the stonework.
Their original habitats are natural sea cliffs, but in some places they also make use of the sides and ledges of seaside buildings. They are also a feature of buildings and bridges in Scarborough, and even in Newcastle, the latter the world’s most inland colony, some 10 miles from Tynemouth and the sea.
Kittiwake numbers globally have fallen by 40 per cent since the 1970s due to climate change and overfishing, so looking after colonies such as those in Suffolk is important for the conservation of the species.
In the distance beyond the pier at Lowestoft are two strange structures, each on a sturdy single pillar. Each of these artificial nesting structures provides hundreds of small ledges designed to mimic the birds’ steep cliff dwellings.
These are ‘kittiwake hotels’, erected in the hope of luring the gulls away from the town, a project that seems to be succeeding. Kittiwakes are also regular at Southwold and nest on a redundant platform opposite the Sizewell power station.
Unlike herring and lesser black-backed gulls, kittiwakes never bother people directly. Except when nesting, they are strictly marine, taking small fish and other food from at or near the surface of the sea.
One of the highlights for me was seeing small groups of Mediterranean gulls drifting past the cliffs. They are similar to black-headed gulls but are slightly larger, lack any black on their wings, and have heavier, brighter red bills.
These splendid birds have increased in recent decades perhaps due to climate change and they nest at several coastal sites, often alongside black-headed gulls.
Bob notes that they have bred in Cambridgeshire, in black-headed gull colonies, often involving a mixed pair, but producing no offspring. Bob also saw a Mediterranean gull with nest material at Hobson’s Park which was then chased off by the black-headed gulls.