Alan gets his ducks in a row to clinch first prize
THE winning combination of eider ducks and a fishing boat have landed wildlife photographer Alan Jack a first place prize in a new competition.
Alan, who lives in Cullercoats, spotted the two eiders as he patrolled North Shields Fish Quay.
He caught the precise moment that the red colour of the boat was reflected in the water by the light conditions.
This produced a red patch of river which the ducks obligingly paddled through to provide the perfect picture opportunity.
“It was a late afternoon, winter sun and the light was spot on, which reflected the colour of the fishing boat. It was so vivid,” said Alan, who runs his own driving school and has been a lifelong bird watcher.
The competition was the first to be run by the Northumberland and Tyneside Bird Club, which was founded in 1958 and has 240 members.
Alan won the members category of the competition and Mandy Fall, from West Newton in Northumberland, took first place in the nonmembers section with her picture of a Little Egret near the causeway at Holy Island.
Both have won a prize of a Farne Island cruise with Serenity Boat Tours of Seahouses.
The eider picture follows the publication of a long-running North East study of the species known as “Cuddy’s Ducks” because of their association with St Cuthbert.
It has been based on the efforts of Hilary Brooker-Carey, who for the last 27 years from Amble harbour has recorded eider ducks from 6am7am mid-May to the end of July in the River Coquet estuary,
The eiders nest on Coquet Island off Amble, from where the ducklings, shepherded by their mothers and other attendant females, move in creches into the estuary and its mudflats and shoreline.
During their journey and after their arrival, they run the gauntlet of predators such as large gulls and herons.
Amble is the southernmost limit of the range of the sea ducks on the East coast and there have been concerns about falling numbers, so the data collected by Hilary which has now been published in a new research report, is important.
Counts of breeding females on Coquet Island in 2022 were 346.
The island, an RSPB reserve for its breeding bird populations, was designated as a site of special scientific interest and one of the reasons was the then presence of around 500 eider nests. The Coquet estuary is a reception nursery area, vital to the survival of ducklings that leave the island.
Hilary, a volunteer for 31 years on Coquet Island, said: “It all began 27 years ago when the local authority wanted to know which areas of the estuary were important to wildlife, in particular the eider duck as it was considered a good indicator species.
“I soon became absorbed by the study and got great delight in watching the antics and behaviour of the ducklings and their attendant females.
“It became clear quite early in the study, that the eider ducks on the Northumberland coast were in trouble, with numbers steadily falling year on year and the study was helping to shed light on eider duck behaviour and their needs for survival. I am delighted that this research has now been published.”
Hilary’s efforts were guided and encouraged by Dr Paul Morrison, who spent many years as Coquet Island site manager.
Newcastle University retired professor and ornithologist Dr Chris Redfern carried out analysis of the collected data for the report.
He said: “Hilary has collected an incredible amount of data over a 27-year period as a sole observer. Her dedication is amazing.”
Paul Morrison said: “The estuary is a vital resource for the eiders, which are in trouble. The eider is an endearing and emblematic species for the Northumberland coast and their lovely, haunting calls are part of the character of the estuary.”