Sunday, 9 June 2024

1st sum arctic tern, Pennington Flash


A first summer arctic tern was at Pennington Flash this morning, with four common terns. This is a plumage which I rarely see since juvenile arctic terns usually head south to the southern hemisphere for their first winter and don't return until they are adults. At one time it was considered so unusual that they were thought to be a separate species and were given the scientific name Sterna portlandica but in reality they're not really that uncommon. The photo above is of a 1st summer arctic tern which I saw at the arctic tern colony at Long Nanny last week.

Also at the flash today a juvenile ringed plover on the spit and 1100+ swifts.
 


No comments:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts