Black magic at Longham

Black Terns pass through my local gravel pit at Swineham but usually at a time of year when they are in their winter plumage. As I was attending the end of season party for Wareham Rangers Under-14s last Sunday (played 14, lost 10, drawn 3, won 1 - not their best) three of this species were reported in their summer finery at nearby Longham Lakes.

After the speeches and festivities were over I headed over to check out the Terns. Although spending much of their time roosting on a buoy in the centre of the larger southern lake, they did get up from time to time to feed, giving their shrill calls as they hawked over the surface of the water.

Longham is having one if its purple patches with the Bonaparte's Gull (still present last weekend), Red-rumped Swallow and Osprey being seen in recent weeks. Over the years I have seen Ortolan Bunting, Blue-winged Teal, Penduline Tit, White-rumped Sandpiper and Great White Egret there as well as commoner passage birds like Little Gull, Garganey and Little Ringed Plover. So another good record for the site, and no doubt more to come.