Monday 8 June 2015

A missed opportunity?

I had 45 mins spare so did a brief car park field visit, then BSL.

Just Red Kites and Buzzard, plus a few Swift, House Martin and Swallow, but as I arrived at BSL but hadn't crossed the bridge to the beach, a tern was dropping fast heading South. I got to the bridge, but it was already out over the picnic area before I could pick it up.

Something wasn't right, I got the scope on it and it had a short tail, the primaries were smudged black and I was convinced it could be a Sandwich, but as it was back on I couldn't see the head and bill as it kept going away. It turned East and I lost it behind trees. I moved and got another 2 seconds on it, over the far side of the golf course before losing it behind solid trees.

It was really annoying but even though I think it was a Sandwich Tern, the views were just not quite enough to be 100%.

Shortly after a large gull came in from the SSW quite high and when circling had a lot of dark from primaries to the coverts, pale head, large bark bill, I tried to get more on the inner primary to secondary area and think it wasn't pale notched like a Herring. but failed to get anything solid on it and it dropped quickly over to Sandford out of sight, further inspection there produced no large gulls, did I miss 2 year ticks this afternoon?

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