A Roseate Tern at Farmoor 9th August 2018

I really should be more diligent in checking my phone for text messages and updates on the Oxonbirds web site as it was not until just before five o' clock that I saw a message from Badger about a Roseate Tern, discovered by Jeremy at Farmoor Reservoir at four o clock this afternoon and still present at ten to five!

Roseate Terns are a delightful small tern, so named because they acquire a rosy flush to their breast in the breeding season and were first described at the comparatively late date of 1813 when several were shot by Dr Peter McDougall and friends on the Cumbrae Islands in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland.  One of these was sent to Lord Montagu who honoured McDougall by ascribing his shortened surname as part of the bird's scientific bi-nomen Sterna dougallii

They are to be found breeding along the Atlantic coasts of Europe and America but spend their respective winters in West Africa or the Caribbean. The history of Roseate Terns and the human race is not a happy one with widespread exploitation for the millinery trade in the 19th century bringing the European population to the verge of extinction.This was thankfully ended and the population in the UK slowly grew to 3812 pairs by 1968 but by 1985 they had declined to 521 pairs, this long term decline being mainly caused by local people in the tern's West African wintering grounds trapping them for their children to keep as pets, resulting in the terns inevitable death after a few days, or for eating. One 'gentleman' was encountered by researchers wearing a necklace of BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) metal rings he had taken from wintering Roseate Terns he had killed. 

Part of this tern's decline has now been reversed in some European colonies where strict conservation measures have been implemented such as at Rockabill Island, Co. Dublin, Ireland which now holds Europe's largest breeding colony (1213 pairs in 2013) and which comprises 75% of the European population. The RSPB reserve on Coquet Island in Northumberland, England has also benefited from conservation efforts by putting specially adapted nest boxes on the ground for the terns to nest in, thus reducing the chances of the eggs and young being predated by gulls, with the result it held 104 breeding pairs of Roseate Terns in 2016. The European population in total now stands at somewhere around 1800 pairs.

This is a very rare bird for Oxfordshire with only eight records, prior to this one, in the County. Today seems to have been a notable one for Roseate Terns in that they were also recorded from two locations in the north of England and one location in the north of Scotland, although these records were from more traditional coastal habitat rather than an inland reservoir.

My car still had my camera, bins and scope in the boot from my birding trip to Farmoor yesterday so it took no time for me to leave the house and promptly head for Farmoor, thirty minutes drive away. I called Dai, en route, to ascertain exactly where the tern was on the reservoir, as depending on its location, there are a couple of options as to where is best to park the car. Dai told  me it was perched on the railings leading out to the Valve Tower at the eastern (near) end of the Causeway. Good, as this meant no tedious yomp to the far end of the Causeway and I could leave the car in the main car park which was  just a few minutes walk away from the beginning of the Causeway and the Valve Tower.

My one big concern was what the tern would do in the next thirty to forty minutes before I got to Farmoor. It could fly away, it could move to another part of the reservoir or preferably it could stay where it was. I could but hope for the best.

My other worry concerned the traffic at this time of day, as it was slap bang in the rush hour. All was however relatively smooth going apart from it seeming to take an age to get across the ridiculous Eynsham Toll Bridge. A long line of traffic was slowly making its way to the decrepit toll booth to pay their 5p to cross. Finally I got there, handed over my 5p, crossed the antiquated bridge and a few minutes later was parking in the main car park at Farmoor Reservoir. Scope, bins and camera were hastily slung over and around my shoulders and a quick run up the grassy incline got me onto the perimeter track in front of the yacht club.

My view from the Causeway across Farmoor One to the
Valve Tower beyond

A birder told me the Roseate Tern was no longer on the railings and had flown out over Farmoor Two, the larger of the two reservoirs. Just what I had feared would happen had come to pass as I had been fretting in the queue at the toll bridge. Some Common Terns were feeding by the pontoons in front of the yacht club but that was of little interest. I could see other birders standing on the Causeway and all looking out southwest, over Farmoor Two. Maybe they had it in their bins and scopes?

Oxonbirders watching the Roseate Tern. Note the looming
grey cloud prior to the rain arriving

I raced along the perimeter track to join them and discovered that Ian Lewingtton, our esteemed County Bird Recorder did indeed have the Roseate Tern in his sights, but it was high in the sky with three Common Terns, stooging about and looking like it was about to depart from the reservoir. Panic. I had to see it to get it on my County List but finding it in all that turbulent sky and threatening rain, was no easy task. I looked upwards but could not see any terns just some Black headed Gulls. Ian gave further directions concerning various clouds. I discovered I was looking far too low. Blimey, it must be really high up. I found some terns away up in the sky but they were the wrong ones. Ian said 'It is coming back down'. Oh Lord, now where is it? Why can't I see it?  Then four terns came into view in my frantically scanning bins and Ian, who was keeping up a steady dialogue of directions said it was the highest  of the four and to the right of the other three terns. I got it! Yes, there it was! Distinctively smaller and paler and as it came closer and descended further I could see more of it and relax, following it  as it flew back and fore above the water, calling its distinctive chwit call, over and over.

Adult Roseate Tern

Its outer primaries were worn and consequently had become very dark forming a marked contrast with the pale grey inner primaries and its wings were shorter in relation to its body than the Common Terns with which it was associating.

Eventually it crossed over the Causeway, close to us, and made for the railings by the Valve Tower to land at the very end of the railings, joining some Common Terns and Black headed Gulls.Now I could get it in my scope and I could see all the diagnostic features of this neat looking tern.

The Valve Tower and railings on which the terns and gulls
like to perch

I noted the standard dull black cap, paler, pearl grey upperparts than the Common Terns, pure white underparts with a breast blushed the palest rose pink. It looked smaller than a Common Tern that was standing next to it and had a long, sharply pointed bill, only the base being red, the rest was black.It also showed distinctively bright orange-red legs. In fact this last feature was the best way for distinguishing it when partially obscured by the other terns and gulls, as it preened and rested on the railings. 

The first intimation of rain began with a few random drops and soon it was raining full on with a suddenly increased southwest wind to go with it and making matters quite uncomfortable. I was without a jacket and got a bit of a soaking but did not care. A spectacular double rainbow materialised over the reservoir as others made for shelter at the yacht club. Eventually I too conceded defeat and joined Bob below some trees and waited for the rain to pass. Luckily I found I could still carry on watching the perched tern in my scope whilst sheltering under the trees.

The rain eased off and we made our way back out onto the Causeway.The remaining hour or so was occupied with watching the Roseate Tern, either perched on the railings or flying from there to pass over our heads, as we stood on the Causeway, and feed with the Common Terns over an area of the reservoir in front of the yacht club. It became a  regular journey for the Roseate Tern and it must have done this three or four times and this gave an opportunity for those of us with cameras to take its picture in flight. Its distinctive and frequent calling was easily picked up, even at a great distance, and in the difficult light was sometimes the best way to locate it when out over the water with the other terns.

Most of Oxonbirds finest had made it to the reservoir this evening, latecomers running up and grabbing a look through any available scopes. Andy and Mick were the last to join us, Mick still in work suit and sans bins and scope, but a quick look through my scope capped what had apparently been a somewhat fraught journey coming back from Liverpool.

All was well as we stood on the Causeway chatting but more rain was on the way and many had now departed for home. I left Terry, Andy, The Wickster and Mick to continue watching the Roseate Tern as the clouds loomed threateningly from the West. The sun managed a brief flare of fiery gold, dying embers on the billowing undersides of the cumulus clouds, then once extinguished, the reservoir became grey and uninviting. I bade farewell and left. 

Update

There was no sign of the Roseate Tern the following day and it had clearly moved on along with a number of the Common Terns that were also present yesterday