White-winged Black Tern

Okay blippers here's another bird.

You know those people who you cross the street to avoid, because they can bore for Britain, well I hope you're not thinking that just because I blipped a Black Tern of a couple of days ago and today it's a White-winged Black Tern that this journal is turning boring.

This bird's been around Hyde Park since 27th September, 8 days ago, so hoping that it didn't choose today to continue on its journey to sub-Saharan Africa, I decided to take the train into London. Initially unaware there was a Tube strike today I subsequently also decided that I fancied the walk from Kings Cross to Hyde Park.

I soon identified the bird patrolling up and down The Serpentine scanning for insects, then collecting them by dipping down. I set the camera to 1/1600" and tried to capture it in flight with a few successful shots, but a lot of out of focus ones where I missed with the autofocus. It then took a breather landing on a post just by the Serpentine bridge from which I got some great shots including the above which hopefully adds a bit fun for those that are regretting not crossing the street.

So what's so special about a White-winged Black Tern - it breeds in Eastern Europe and winters in sub-Saharan Africa. If you travel between those two points "as the crow flies" you certainly won't end up in Hyde Park. Generally in the spring migration it takes a more direct route and is very unlikely to be seen in Britain, however for the autumn migration some take a more scenic route and we tend to see 10 to 40 of these birds each year so that makes it special, although while I was photographing the Tern a couple of tourists asked what it was. I explained they then asked what the brown bird a couple of posts along was - only a Moorhen I replied, then realising what I'd said I added, but it thinks it's pretty special too. At this point they crossed the street.