(chlidonias hybrida)
The Whiskered Tern is a very uncommon visitor to Scotland being mostly a summer breeder in the Mediterranean regions. At the time of publication of BS3 there were only ever two records of this species in Scotland, the first being a bird shot by a gamekeeper in 1894!
The bird photographed here was found at Forfar Loch in October 2022 where it remained for several days. It is one of a group of three terns referred to as 'Marsh Terns' and like the other two, the Black Tern and the White-winged Tern, this bird displayed the characteristic very fast, elegant and twisting flight pattern. As such a fast flier it was a nightmare to try and photograph in flight. Fortunately, after a couple of hours of waiting the bird chose to alight on a buoy off the sailing club where it rested for a few minutes until displaced by a gull.