The Conder Common Terns.

Common Tern. Martin Lofgren.

A visit to Conder Green yesterday gave an excellent update on the Common Terns breeding on Conder Pool. 

Common Tern young/adult on Conder Pool. Pete Woodruff.

When I arrived at the viewing platform I picked up a small bird partly hidden behind the stones on the left hand edge of the small island to the right of the screen. For a second I wondered what I was looking at, but soon realised it was one of the young Common Terns, more to the point it was the unfledged runt of the two which had obviously swam from Tern Island where it had hatched, and returned by swimming back there later in the afternoon. In fact Common Tern chicks are known to take to swimming at an early age, a much earlier age than this one did yesterday.

Juvenile Common Tern. Martin Lofgren.

It was soon joined by one of it's parent birds complete with fish, and at one point it's bigger sibling took to the wing and joined them on the island for a while where the difference in size was made apparent. However, the young runt will have fledged before the week is out to conclude an excellent successful breeding record for the equally excellent Conder Pool. The only breeding record in the LDBWS recording area where it's status is....'a very scarce passage migrant and summer lingerer'....and a species on the Amber list.

Apologies from Pete Woodruff for the usual poor quality image. With thanks to Martin Lofgren at Wild Bird Gallery for the excellent quality images.