Tern Fest!

Tern Fest!

We set off at 2:00am and arrived at Long Nanny at around 6:30am in hopes of seeing a rare, American tern Just from the car park, we heard a Whitethroat and spotted a large, pale falcon hunting over a ploughed field, which was either an escaped, hybrid falcon or an aberrant Peregrine. We then walked over to Beadnell Bay Tern Reserve, spotting many Skylarks and Reed Buntings in amongst the dunes along the way.

As soon as we arrived at Beadnell Bay Tern Reserve, we were struck by the copious amounts of noisy

Arctic Terns, and it was great to see them nesting up close from the viewpoint We also spotted a brief Sandwich Tern in amongst the terns. We then got great views of our target, the American Black Tern, as it flew around us, however it was too quick for me to be able to get a record shot.

While we were waiting for the tern to re-appear, we met one of the rangers who pointed out the distant Little Tern and Ringed Plover nests, which were both marked with white poles and fenced off to the public. We also met a birder named John Hague who was up here for the weekend. 

After waiting for around an hour, the American Black Tern finally returned and this time landed, allowing me to get some record shots of it through the long grass.

We had been told by the ranger that it was paired up with a male Arctic Tern. We were also informed that it had eggs, but that they were unlikely to hatch. Happy that we had connected with our target, we made our way to the uplands. 

We arrived at a moorland site in Northumberland National Park at around 10:00am in hopes of seeing a bird which has already eluded me this year, a Ring Ouzel. The most numerous bird we saw while climbing the massive hill were Meadow Pipits. I also spotted a distant male Whinchat singing at the top of a tree, along with a more confiding female Whinchat and a male Stonechat. 

Once we reached the top of the hill, we spotted many Meadow Pipits, along with a Kestrel and a family of Red Grouse, however no Ring Ouzel. We also spotted one or two Green Tiger Beetles, along with a few Common Heath moths. 

We then made our way down the hill, when I spotted a male Whinchat accompanying the female Whinchat, in the same spot I saw them on the way up.

Both birds were very confiding, coming up to a couple of feet at times. This bird was one of my targets for 2024.

The female Whinchat was very tame, at times it showed just two or three metres away. I've only ever seen Whinchats on migration at Spurn, so it was great to see them in their breeding grounds and in their stunning summer plumage.

Just as we were about to leave, I spotted another male Whinchat. It fed on the path in front of us and perched up a few times calling, before returning back to its tree, to sing

. 

As we were watching the Whinchats, another Green Tiger Beetle landed right by our feet, giving great views before it scurried off. 

As the Green Tiger Beetle scurried off, I looked up and a Northern Eggar caterpillar caught my eye. It blended in perfectly with the heather, almost looking like a branch at times. 

We then continued our descent, spotting many Red Grouse along the way. I heard at least six different individuals, but only managed to see half of them as they were very well camouflaged amongst the heather.

As we were were approaching our parked car, I spotted a bird sat on top of a rock wall. It was a male Wheatear, and the final bird I needed in order to see all three British chats in one day.

While watching the Wheatear, I noticed a grey moth land right besides me. It was later identified by an expert as a Common Grey Moth (Scoparia Ambigualis), which was a new moth for me!

On our way back to the car, I spotted an unfamiliar bumblebee. It was a Bilberry Bumblebee, a species I had been wanting to see and one that I did not expect to see.

Once we had arrived at the car, I spotted a large moth underneath a neighbouring vehicle. At first, I didn't recognise it, but after looking at it in closer detail, I realised it was a moth which I had found many caterpillars of before, but never seen as an adult. It was a Northern Eggar, and sadly a very worn individual.

We also spotted a dead Hedgehog on the side of the road which we had hoped was alive! I have never seen this mammal and it was a bit sad to see it dead as they are in decline in the UK.

We then stopped in a layby on the side of the road to figure out our next course of action. While there, we noticed a Spotted Flycatcher right next to us. We watched as it joined another one up in the trees.

I then watched one of the Spotted Flycatchers bring some food to the corner of a shed before leaving empty-handed. They were carrying food to a nest! Happy to find a Spotted Flycatcher nest, we made our way to a forest in hopes of seeing a rare raptor

We arrive at an undisclosed site around 6:00pm in hopes of seeing Goshawk. As soon as we arrived, we noticed a pair of nesting Little Grebes in front of us, along with three Common Sandpipers. I then noticed a large raptor fly straight past us, with white bulges to the side of its banded tail. It was a Goshawk. Although it was a brief sighting, the bird was unmistakable. We then waited, hoping for a more prolonged view, yet to no avail.

As it was getting dark, we made our way back to the car, spotting a few Northern Marsh Orchids and Common Spotted Orchids along the way, as well as a singing Song Thrush. We then called it a day and headed home.

Overall, a great day with a semi-lifer in the form of the American Black Tern.