A bad Tern of events

I decided on Teesside this morning hoping the White Winged Black Tern from yesterday might still be present at Saltholme, it wasn’t but upon arriving I heard news that the Bridled Tern had been seen heading south at Whitburn, thoughts were it may turn up at Saltholme as it did last year, I kept a watch with a few of the locals then a phone call alerted us that it was off Hartlepool Headland then Seaton Carew, things were looking good unfortunately it seems some things are just not meant to be and it never turned up. By this time Mark, who had done his back in yesterday, had joined me, we went over to Hartlepool Headland just after midday for a little seawatch just in case but apart from a dodgy report of the Bridled late morning and the coming and going of Common and Sandwich Terns there was little else doing. After a couple of hours Mark, who was suffering a bit gave it up and headed home, I headed back to Saltholme, a smart summer plumaged Med Gull was back on his Lamp-post at Newburn Bridge then back at Saltholme I pottered around until closing, a couple of Water Rail chicks were showing from the Wildlife Watchpoint, ten Little Egrets from the Phil Stead Hide and at Paddy’s Hide I hoped to photograph the Roseate Tern thats been hanging around a while now and had been seen this morning but even that had gone missing.

Common Terns had a good breeding season, lots of young about

some of the Little Egrets at Phil Stead Hide

plus Stock Dove