I spent last weekend birding around Dublin with the main aim of removing the question mark next to my one and only observation of Roseate Tern. That was back in 2007 on the beach of Zeebrugge but, being the only observer to have seen the bird and having since seen several other Commic Terns that looked similar, I was no longer sure of my original identification. My local contact met me from the airport bus and we were soon birding the suburbs of Dublin, where we found the local, hibernicus race of Dipper. We then headed to an islet along the coast where a few Roseate Terns breed but it was already deserted, with just a few Shags loafing around and a distant Manx Shearwater out to sea. After a visit to Booterstown nature reserve, we made our way to Sandymount Strand for the tern roost. Until then, I had been hearing the occasional Spotted Redshank call but, strangely, not seeing any. My guide then pointed out the same calls coming from the rapidly growing flock of terns and I realised I had been hearing Roseates, their calls easily picked out from the din of the 3000 or so other terns present. Seeing them was another matter entirely but we eventually saw 4 or 5 birds we were both convinced had to be Roseates before a young Peregrine ploughed right through the flock, almost succeeding in picking off a tern and creating total panic as the the flock scattered in all directions.
 |
| Just a few of the 3000-4000 terns at Sandymount Strand |
The following day and half were spent visiting a few other sites around Dublin and adding some more species to the list, which came to 78 species in 2.5 days, one of the last sightings we made being this ever so young deer we stumbled across in Phoenix Park. Many thanks to Joao for all your help; I'll be back when the Roseates are in breeding plumage, if not before!
