On my walk ... the turnstone

 



One of my favourite encounters as I walk along the seafront in Sidmouth is with the small flock of turnstone that can frequently be seen on the beach or on the rock sea defences. There are about twenty in the group and in autumn and winter they certainly flock together being birds of a feather.

Turnstone are what are termed 'waders' and are distant relatives of the sandpiper family but although they are 'waders' you never see them wading. They are very much a bird of the shoreline resting on rocks and walls at high tide, scouring the beach when it is available to them and then, at low tide, examining rock pools and exposed seaweed. 

The turnstone gets its name, of course, from its distinctive feeding habit of turning stones over to raid any grubs that might be hiding underneath but they also are adept at turning over seaweed and can often be seen rummaging around the tide line where drying weed and debris attract flies.

On the beach in Sidmouth they run around between the people there without seemingly being bothered by them and seemingly noticed by the beach users. They are certainly turnstones but it cannot be said they leave no stone unturned given the huge numbers of stones and pebbles on the beach!

Comments

  1. Ed Dolphin3 October 2022 at 10:37

    Their arrival is one of the seasonal markers. There are people who feed them regularly in the morning. The birds recognise them and fly towards them as they arrive. There used to be one with one foot but I haven't been to see them this year and so do not know if s/he has survived for another year.

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  2. Peter Orchard3 October 2022 at 14:59

    They are being fed? No wonder they are so tame and no wonder there is a problem with gulls. I hate to think what the turnstones are being fed, their diet is predominantly insectivorous.

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