Excellent Tern Out

With a White-winged Black Tern reported at Leighton Moss, and Arctic Terns mingling with Common Terns at Preston Dock, Eddie and I rose to the challenge of photographing all three species today.  With other surprises thrown in, the day soon terned  into a classic...        (Gosh that was rubbish, I hear you groan).     

Great White Egret, 04/07/15, Leighton Moss. On the pools near Barrow Scout. Didn't expect this.

White-winged Black Tern, 04/07/15, Leighton Moss, Lower Hide. Exactly what we came for. Distant, but digiscoped accordingly.

And again in flight. It kept plucking insects from the water's surface then descending onto the same post.

Common Damsel (Hemmed in by two Blue-tailed Damsels) 04/07/15, path to Lower Hide, Leighton Moss.

Speckled Wood, 04/07/15, path to Eric Morecambe Hide, Leighton Moss.

Greenshank, 04/07/15, Eric Morecambe Hide, Leighton Moss.

Greenshank compared with Redshank.

Black-tailed Godwit, 04/07/15, Eric Morecambe Hide, Leighton Moss.

Our trip to Leighton Moss also yielded a Med Gull, a distant view of Egyptian Geese and a few tantalising glimpses of Cettis Warbler.  Yep, glimpses, not just a noisy earful from deep cover.  

Not a bad day, but it wasn't over yet...  

Arctic Terns, 04/07/15, Preston Dock. Good to see these breeding here.

Common Tern, 04/07/15, Preston Dock. What a success story. Loads breed here now, albeit in man-made boxes / old car tyres.