Black Terns at Dernford Reservoir, 2nd June 2023

There has been a recent influx of Black Terns in the south and east of the country and with two reported just over the border in Cambridgeshire a quick trip was in order. As always at Dernford, the Skylarks were confiding.

A Common Tern proved a warm up act before the Black Terns.

The Black Terns stayed fairly distant, but by walking to the other side of the reservoir they were slightly closer and the light was better.

Such graceful, fast moving Terns and it was good that my good friend Robert made it up the M11 as they were lifers for him and also too him to 199 UK species this year! As if in celebration, there was a flypast from a Spitfire in USAF colours from nearby Duxford.

And a Hisparno buchon which is a Spanish variant of the Messerschmidt 109.

Another bonus bird was this fine drake Garganey.

But the strangest sighting was this flock of ten Common Scoter (six drakes) happily swimming together miles from the coast.

---

They were very settled and then suddenly took off before landing again. The most I have ever seen inland!