Common Terns

The Common Tern is a summer visitor to the UK, which is present from April to September. It breeds along the coast and on inland bodies of water in most of the UK although it is almost absent from SW England. It nesting success has been increased by the provision of breeding rafts covered in shingle which mimic small shingle covered islands. It is estimated that the UK breeding population is around 12000 pairs. The Common Tern is a long-distance migrant and winters along the coasts of the South Hemisphere in S. Africa, S. America and Australia.

All these pictures were taken at Greenwich Peninsular Ecology Park, one of 2 breeding sites in SE London.