Kittis with Colin

It was another breezy late afternoon that greeted Colin Carter, Derek Beamish and I when we arrived at Claremont Pier in Lowestoft to check on the breeding productivity of the Kittiwake colony and ring as many chicks as possible. Aside from the amusements and roller skate rink the remaining pier neck itself is closed to the public so it is with much gratitude to the management that we are given access to the colony which breeds on the disused pier neck.

Kittiwake chicks on the nest

Due to the short early evening time window before the arcade closes the nest checking and ringing has to be carried out as quickly as possible which means that the team must be extremely organised to get round in time. 

As nests are checked chicks to be ringed are placed in a bucket which means that firstly they can't escape and secondly that rings and pliers aren't dropped through the wooden boards that make up the pier walkway. The young are colour ringed where old enough as part of an ongoing project and any regurgitated food is bagged up and sent to the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), where it is analysed in an attempt to determine foraging grounds and prey species.

Chicks waiting to be ringed

In total 16 chicks were ringed from 9 nests on this visit with several to come back for.

After being shown last year by Jez Blackburn of the BTO, Derek, time permitting, is keen to catch adult birds using a noose on a pole. On this occasion four adults were caught of which two were ringed as adults here in 2010. Adult birds are also fitted with colour rings.

Colin (left) and Derek checking the colour ring

fit on an adult Kittiwake.