Lesser Crested Tern – Beacon Lane, Spurn, East Yorkshire, 18^th June 1993

Wow!!! At last, this one succumbs, and so easily, after all that had gone before, I finally saw this bird, this long-awaited bird, in the most amazingly fortuitous circumstances. Realising that this bird (which had frustrated me more often than any other) had not settled in the Farnes this summer, I travelled for six hours from South Queensferry to Spurn in my little AMEC Ford Escort van on Friday the 18th June 1993. A fraught journey it was too, particularly during my refuelling stop (I think I got frustrated trying to navigate my way out of the service station at Ferrybridge Services and ended up grounding the van over a very high kerb). I had departed from work at 13:35 and arrived at 18:35, to be greeted by Sandwich Terns flying south from Beacon Ponds over the Blue Bell. Aaargh!!!!! They were flying back out to the outer estuary having been roosting at the ponds.

I hurriedly assembled my gear and started off along Beacon Lane. Some birders were coming back from the ponds and suggested it had flown off earlier but might have returned. I rushed on. The next birder I bumped into was looking for a Common Rosefinch and repeated the story. As we chatted Sandwich Terns were flying past. I raised my bins, and continuing my lucky streak, the first bird I binned was it!!! All within six minutes of arrival...... !

I fluked a very good fly past view in excellent evening sunlight. It was about 30m or 40m up and initially at least 100m away. I suppose it was in view for a minute or so, initially directly alongside us, but then quickly disappearing towards the Point.

Unfortunately, (particularly as a 05:00 rise was called for) it was not connected with the following morning, so reverting to its previous frustrating behaviour.

So, any description relates to flight views only. It superficially resembled a Sandwich Tern (and sounded like one!) apart from the yolk yellow bill. The black cap looked similar in extent as well. As it disappeared away from us a whiter panel in the inner upper-wing was apparent.

I caught up with ‘Elsie’ (L. C., geddit?) again on Inner Farne the following summer (and with a hybrid offspring!) at Musselburgh at the time of the Western Sandpiper in August 1997.

Lesser Crested Tern, Beacon Ponds, Spurn, East Yorkshire, June 1993 (photograph credited to unknown).