ML243510101
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age and sex
- Immature Unknown sex - 1
Observation details
*Rare, but perhaps part of a pattern of more Arctic Terns than usual in Cape May this spring. 1st summer plumaged bird feeding just offshore with other terns; in view off and on for ten minutes or so. Rather slimmer-looking and much neater look to plumage than 1st summer Common; flight a bit more buoyant. More front-heavy look with thick but stubby/rounded head/neck tapering to slimmer belly and longer tail; tightly closed tail maybe adding to a more tapered overall look. Wingtips had a more consistently falcate look to tips than Common. Bill stubbier as well, and cap a bit different - maybe more white on forehead, more black on sides of cap and under eye (giving a big-eyed look). Upperwing very neat and evenly fresh-looking; no molt limit in primaries, no messy/frayed wing coverts; carpal bar weaker than Common’s and extending more (or at least equal darkness) into primary coverts; thin, crisp white trailing edge to secondaries; evenly fresh-looking primaries looked slightly paler than back/inner wing. White rump sharply contrasting with grey back, not blending as in 1st summer Common. Underparts white with a few faint gray smudges on breast. Underwing clean white with very thin black trailing edge to primaries; slightly translucent look to primaries quite evident at times. Photos.
Technical information
- Model
- Canon EOS 7D Mark II
- Lens
- EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
- ISO
- 1250
- Focal length
- 400 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire, auto
- f-stop
- f/7.1
- Shutter speed
- 1/5000 sec
- Dimensions
- 2048 pixels x 1362 pixels
- Original file size
- 202.57 KB