Orchids & Elegant Tern 10/6/17

With news last night of the Elegant Tern heading east into Sussex from Hayling Island, I was in two minds whether to spend the day down in West Sussex searching for the bird, or positioning myself at a decent location so I could reach the area in quick time. I chose the latter and after nearly three hours of wandering around finding a few Orchids north of Brighton, I was photographing a Beautiful Damoiselle when a phone call from Jake came through that only meant one thing, the Tern had been found by Alan Kitson, but I wasn't expecting it to have been found at Church Norton. I legged it to the car for ten minutes and raced down towards Norton.

 Bee Orchid near Wolstonbury Hill

Beautiful Damoiselle at Nyetimber Hill

The Tern had disappeared straight away but when I had just passed Sidlesham it was re-found on Tern Island, and I screeched into a parking place along the Church Norton Road and yet again legged it to the beach where mercifully the ELEGANT TERN was on view just after arrival. It was only visible when it flew up and around from the vegetated island for twenty minutes when it then decided to strongly fly off way out of the harbour and out of sight towards Selsey. For once my plan had worked, as I wouldn't have seen it if I had stayed at home and waited on news. Not that any of this mattered however, as two hours later the Tern had returned and showed nicely perched in full view.

a county first - Elegant Tern at Church Norton

I then continued the Orchid theme with 130+ Musk Orchids on the way home, and then at sunset bumped into a very vocal Roe Deer.

 Musk Orchid in West Sussex

Roe Deer near Brighton