White-winged black tern, Rother Valley CP

Despite the poor weather today, we had some nice views of a smart looking adult summer plumage white-winged black tern at Rother Vallley Country Park in South Yorkshire. Then we moved to Old Moor RSPB where we saw a great bittern, but unfotunately not the little bittern.

The white-winged black tern was my 8th in the UK, and interestingly the first four were all juveniles but the last four were all adults. Obviously the juveniles were all different birds, but it makes me wonder if any of the adults might relate to the same individual, returning over the past few years.

Year: 238 (White-winged black tern). This day last year: 235, this day 2014:  265

It was dreadfully dull and wet day so I was pleased to get any kind of photo of the tern. A really smart bird though.

We found these sawfly larvae on alder today at Old Moor. Probably Croesus septentrionalis.

Great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis.