Black Tern: These elegant little marsh tern have seemingly been thin on the ground over recent times, It's certainly been awhile since I've seen one. So it came as an extra surprise when was was reported up the road at Carr Mill Dam.
I was working from home, late into the afternoon on a bird report one which I was keen to get signed off and completed, although half and hour or so before reaching this goal I had a phone call of Damian Young giving me the gen on the bird.
He also mentioned there was a bit of a buzz around the birds ID with some folk claiming American black tern!
Once I was done, I was off.
When I arrived the bird was miles away, whizzing up and down the entire length of the lake. I bumped into both Steve T and Iggo and we relocated to part of the lake where it was a bit more narrower hoping the bird would eventually come to us.
We weren't wrong, the bird put on a good 'Dam' show I also picked up my first swallow and house martin of the year.
Bill Aspin tells me that this bird has beaten the counties earliest record set 42 years ago by three days. So definitely a worthwhile local twitch, not just to wipe the reporting cobwebs away but to see a really nice record breaking bird.