October Black Tern - Rarity is contextual

I was sat at Ron's Hide counting wildfowl, with an excellent count of 71 Shoveler, then watching the sky and seeing a few raptors, plenty of Red Kites, Buzzard, including another very pale one, with most of the tail completely white, a Kestrel, a Sparrowhawk and another small raptor too distant to be sure about.

Suddenly a moulting adult Black Tern flew thru my scope view, but I didn't get enough on the tail to be sure it wasn't White-winged....yes I know wishful thinking, but I called Richard and he and Steve had just seen it come by at Bittern Hide. We agreed to go to BSL and meet there.

I went saw nothing and after 10 minutes looked at my phone to see yet again I had left it on silent and missed calls and texts, saying it was on Sandford. By the time I got there it had gone and as Richard had already left, Steve and I went on to BSL, picking it up near the sailing club....showing dusky upper tail and no black underwing coverts, so Black Tern it was.

Looking back there have only been 2 previous October records;

1/1st 1982 (MR), 6/3rd (FJC & DF), 5/4th, 4/5th, 3/6th.
1/9th & 10th 1987 (RTT)

So you could say it has been a while, certainly 32 years for me and I think rarity has a context, other than just rarity of species itself, date rarity is just as much fun and interest.

Pics courtesy of Steve