Terns provide a boost

Things have been generally quiet at EIDB this spring, so an early morning visit to check the Thames for Terns was more in hope than judgement On arrival the basin was very quiet as was the Thames. A Willow Warbler and Blackcap were singing in the copse. Then I heard that familar cry, and two Common Terns flew over the dock and then back to the river, to be joined by two others. Another Tern was heading upriver but was a different shape and flying more bouyantly, surely an Arctic, as it flew past me and headed north, this was confirmed. A Common Whitethroat then appeared in the copse. Met up with Nick who had seen a House Martin on the creek (a tricky species here). A watch of the Thames and the sky revealed just one more Common Tern, a Meadow Pipit and a Peregrine. The high tide roost at Bow Creek held four Common Sandpipers, but by 09.30 things had gone very quiet.