Did a fairy tern fly from ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë to UK? |28 April 2025
Llanberis fairy tern (Photo: Contributed)
Did a fairy tern fly from ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë to UK?
By Adrian Skerret
On February 27, 2025, a staff member of the Royal Victoria Hotel, Llanberis in North Wales, picked up a bird in the hotel grounds that he did not recognise. He took it inside and an online search revealed the identity. It was a species that everyone in ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë would have recognised instantly, a fairy tern or golan blan.
Llanberis lies within Snowdonia ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë Park, near one of the UK's highest summits. The surrounding mountain range is known for its rugged beauty. In February, the peaks can be snow-covered, bleak and desolate. They are swept by high winds and frequently experience subzero temperatures. This is the last place on earth you would expect to see a symbol of the tropics such as the Fairy Tern, yet it happened. It is the first time the species has been recorded anywhere in Europe.