Black Tern, KGV Reservoir, 4th May 2017

Black Tern are usually nailed on for a spring or autumn sighting in London, the reservoirs are clearly favoured over the river,but coinciding with them is the problem.  Staines has had a fair number, even Amwell, but being lazy I was pinning my hopes on Rainham. I had missed the few through there on account of my tardiness and when I news of 4 on the KGV reached me I was watching zip at Rainham. Marco J suggested trying the reservoir the following day, but I wasn't that optimistic, but while I was unpacking the scope his quick scan revealed one had remained over night.  Sweet!

That, we assumed, would be as good as it got–the usual distant views of this enigmatic little bird as it worked its way into the prevailing wind, then letting the wind hurl it back to its starting point to start the process over again. It repeated this process over and over again as we slowly made our way up to the yacht club buildings.  Our target achieved and with nothing else obvious on the southern basin we weren't too enthusiastic to face the hike to the north basin, which always seems to get less birds.  then I noticed the tern flying towards us.  It wouldn't surely come that close?

If only the light had been a tad better, not that I'd have been able to anything with it!