What a remarkable morning at the flash even by recent standards, here is a quick summary of events:
7:50am a message off Bill Harrison alerted me to the presence of 28+ arctic
terns on the flash.
9:00am a black tern appeared off the boat club and arctic terns still present. Misty
drizzle.
9:25am I was on the point of the ruck in now pouring rain and watching a
group of Arctic's landing on the spit when suddenly I heard the
characteristic call of a Sandwich tern overhead. I watched it land on the
spit and then took my eyes off it and messaged Bill who was on the bench in
East Bay. On looking again I realised that there were actually 3 Sandwich
terns now on the spit. They remained here for the next 1 hour 25 minutes,
occasionally briefly flying up and around the flash but soon returning to
the spit. During this time I saw them displaying. Unbeknown to me at the
time, these three birds were probably the same as three seen earlier for 5
minutes at Elton Reservoir, Bury, before flying south west at 8:50am. 35
minutes to get to the flash.
10:00am Whilst photographing the Sandwich terns on the spit I noticed that
there was a smaller bird with a black hood on the spit, surely a little gull
but in those conditions and with no scope I couldn't be sure. Still pouring
down and misty.
10:05am Little gull flew from spit, an adult with a complete black hood. I
managed to get Bill on it from East Bay before it disappeared. It was not
seen again.
10:50am Sandwich terns spooked by a large gull, flew high and away over the
ruck. Not seen again. Most Arctic terns and black tern still present. Rain
eased slightly, but still misty.
Other birds today, plenty of hirundines of three species, at least 20 swift
and a common sandpiper.
Despite the rain, the Sandwich terns were displaying on the spit.
I didn't see this little gull arrive, though I did apparently manage to
photograph it's arrival. I was focusing on the Sandwich terns.
Arctic and common terns.
Arctic tern.
This black tern appeared from nowhere and apparently stayed into the evening.
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