A Gull-billed Tern was found at Thurstaston yesterday, 3rd July 2019, by local birder Steve Hinde. This is the ninth record for Cheshire & Wirral, with three in the last five years. I didn't have transport yesterday, so was resigned to dipping on not only a new local, but also new UK bird for me, since they rarely stay long.
Fortunately, the Gull-billed Tern was still present this morning, so I hastily arranged transport & headed over to Thurstaston, arriving mid-morning. It was difficult looking into the sun & the bird was mostly quite a distance away, but did cruise past the assembled throng a couple of times before disappearing south with the oncoming tide. I resolved to return later, after the tide since the bird was quartering the mud flats repeatedly before the tide covered them.
It was well worth returning later because views were much better, with the Gull-billed Tern not only flying to and fro, but landing for lengthy periods on the mud flats with views not compromised by the light & heat haze of earlier in the day.
Previous records:
1976 Red Rocks, adult, 2nd & 4th August (E. J. Abraham, J. Jones, D. Woodward).
1982 Hoylake, 8th July (J. G. Jones).
1987 Weaver Estuary, 31st May (P. Jordon).
1989 Burton Marsh, 16th June (B. S. Barnacal).
1995 Frodsham, No.6 Tank, 31st July (W. S. Morton).
2002 Inner Marsh Farm, 18th May (E. J. Abraham, B. S. Barnacal, C. Wells).
2015 Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB, 3rd July (per A. H. Pulsford).
2018 Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB, 23rd to 24th May (S. Skelton).
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| Some of the crowd mid-morning... staring into the sun |
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