ML610593128
Contributor
Chris Chappell Media from this contributor Profile
Date
Location
Elephant Butte Lake SP--Main Marina
Sierra, New Mexico, United States
Media from this location Illustrated Checklist- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Media notes
Full frame image for size comparison with Ring-billed Gull
Observation details
Rare! Sterna perched on tire float adjacent to marina. Initially preening, then tucked head in roosting posture, occasionally raising it briefly again. White below, gray above with darker wingtips. Dark face patch extending from eye all the way to cover nape and rear of crown. Dark carpal bar obvious in shoulder area of perched bird. Forster's has more limited face patch and no dark carpal bar. Legs seemed too long and carpal bar too prominent for Arctic. Based on Sibley, this appears to be a non breeding plumage adult due to the even gray color on the back without brownish or mottling. Looks from ebird records that it's not so rare earlier in the fall, but that this bird is late.
Additional species
Technical information
- Model
- COOLPIX P950
- ISO
- 100
- Focal length
- 357 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire
- f-stop
- f/6.5
- Shutter speed
- 1/320 sec
- Dimensions
- 4608 pixels x 3456 pixels
- Original file size
- 3.5 MB