The Terns Are Coming.

There's light at the end of the tunnel, and at least some normality looks set to return for my birding soon, here's hoping.

Meanwhile....

In around five weeks time I'm personally hoping the Common Terns will have arrived back on Conder Pool on the Lune Estuary. If the birds do return here it will be for the sixth successive year this stunning species of bird has graced this pool to successfully raise a total of 14 young to fledging. 

The first pair to arrive on Conder Pool in 2014, must have taken everyone by surprise - they certainly did me - by turning up on the quite late date of 2 July, they went one better than this by succeeding in getting two young to fledging on 26 August, and in fact the second pair in 2015 had fledged three young by the time the 2014 pair had only just arrived on 2 July.

Breeding Common Terns on Conder Pool.

2014.

A pair of Common Tern were an excellent sight on the late date of 2 July, to add to the already impressive species list for Conder Pool, they went on to breed and to successfully raise and fledge two young on 26 August. I saw an adult and these two juvenile for the last time on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock on 12 September, they were reported at Cockersand on 14 September. 

2015.

A pair arrived on 22 May, and went one better that year, to fledge three young on 3 July. All five of this family was last seen on 28 July on the Lune Estuary.  

2016.

A pair arrived on Conder Pool on 6 May, to breed and to hatch three birds, but only two went on to fledge and were last seen here on 12 July. 

2017.

A pair arrived two days later than the previous year on 8 May, three eggs were eventually seen in the scrape on 2 June inside a pontoon now in place on the pool, on 11 June three chicks were seen, by 5 July all three had successfully fledged and were last seen on Conder Pool on 14 July.

2018.

A pair of Common Tern was back on Conder Pool, this time one day earlier than the previous year on 7 May. Through the hostilities and the demise of three young Oystercatcher raised in the same confined space of the pontoon, they raised three young to fledging, two on 3 July, the runt two days later, all three were still in the area when IP reported them to me on Friday 13 July.

A second pair of Common Tern which had arrived for the first time on Conder Pool before the original pair had hatched chicks, appeared to be having a second breeding attempt, seemingly having abandoned the first, as at Friday 13 July, a bird has been sitting again for up to 16 days. A chick was seen 23 July, it fledged 15 August, and was last seen 23 August.

Thanks to Ian Pinkerton for his last image of an adult Common Tern in 2018, seen on Conder Pool 23 August.