Caspian Tern: a first for Greater Manchester            

I arrived at Sale Water Park which is my regular patch at 7.20pm on 16th July 1990 to find another regular, John Baldwin, studying a field guide and announcing that he had just seen a Caspian Tern. It had been fishing a few minutes earlier in the main lake and flown off in the direction of Salford Docks.  Twenty minutes after my arrival the Tern re-appeared followed at a respectful distance by some Black-headed Gulls. With its massive carrot bill, bandits mask and huge size, it was indeed a Caspian Tern. Whilst it was patrolling with its head down and occasionally diving, I made appropriate identification notes and observations. We were subsequently joined by  Cy George and Ian and Ruth McGeorge and the following identification notes were submitted.

First that bill (and no other vegetable comes close to carrot in describing its size) an unmistakeable bright/blood red with a just evident darker tip. The size of the head was equally striking, nothing dainty and "tern like" about it, the black cap being more or less complete. The underparts were mainly white, although the underwing showed the outer primaries to be dark grey/black, particularly towards the outer edge of the wing. The upperwing was mainly pale/mid grey, slightly dusky on the outer primaries towards the wing tip. The tail showed a shallow fork, appearing smaller in proportion to the body than say, Sandwich tern. The lags, not seen well, appeared dark.

Altogether the bird was on view for some 30 minutes or so and would fly around in a fairly regular pattern over the water, bill often pointing down. It dived for fish four or five times and made two successful catches. After fishing for the final time, it flew from the Water Park, over our heads, and eventually disappeared North.

K C Parker and I McGeorge