Forster’s Tern

Sterna forsteri

Vagrant.

The Forster’s Tern is a North American species which has occurred as a vagrant to Britain and Ireland.

On the morning of the 10th January 1994 Sarah Earle saw a tern at Pwllgwaelod, which she sketched and described but did not identify. In the afternoon of that day Brian Atkinson independently saw and identified a first winter Forster’s Tern in the adjacent Fishguard Harbour, presumably the bird seen by Sarah. It remained there during the morning of the 11th January, being seen well by several observers down to a range of less than 10 metres, but was not seen thereafter.

Another first winter Forster’s Tern was seen at the Gann on the 4th December 2000 which moved on to Dale, where it was watched at close quarters fishing along the high tide shoreline. It was lost to view about half an hour later and despite several observers scouring the surrounding estuary area could not be relocated. It may have cut overland to nearby West Dale Bay, where nobody thought to look at the time.

Graham Rees.

(Covers records up to and including 2009).