Did They Move St. Swithin's Day?

Just a leeetle bit of rain recently...


Got a surprise this evening, with news of a White-Winged Black Tern at Exminster.

Despite not getting the news until well after seven, I threw caution to the wind and zipped up to see if it was still around.
I have history with WWBT in Devon [I still can't look at the buoys on Slapton Ley without wincing..] and I wasn't going to wait to see if it stuck.


It seemed worryingly quiet when I arrived, but I eventually found someone at the platform of pitiful views, who uttered that dread phrase "It was here 5 minutes ago.."

Fortunately, the bird waited about that long to show up - hawking and dipping its way up the far side of the canal. It flew very low and gave a wonderful view as it passed.


GET. IN.

:D


It would repeat this routine, with higher passes back south and over towards the river a couple more times, before moving to the lagoon and motoring about over it until I called it an evening at 2040.

Despite several very close passes, it was far too erratic to get camera onto it - my only photos were at range as it passed towards and then hawked over the lagoon. And they are beyond awful. I blame the lack of light.

Don't believe me? [Of course you do, you've seen them before..]

Here's a flyover tern!

Juvenile WWBT.

Really.

[Plus UFOs bits on the lens..]

I think this is my worst ever 'record' shot. I am really quite proud.


But seriously, the bird was beyond fantabulous and a Devon Tick to boot! :)