ML61218421

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Observers George and Andrea Robbins and Linda Bobeck, observed from Friends Blind for about 15 minutes as it flew around and went down to the water. Linda first sighted it. Andrea took photos while George studied it by scope and observed all black bill and black legs. It was a small adult tern (not Caspian or Royal, not Black Tern). Ruled out Common Tern because of adult with black bill and wings very white above, Ruled out Roseate because of black legs and tail not long and not deeply forked, Ruled out Forster's because of black legs and all black bill. Ruled out Sandwich Tern because no yellow tip on bill. Took about 100 photos, but few were useable. Here are 14 that show various field marks which, when taken together, gave us the ID of Gull-billed Tern. The weather was heavy overcast and hazy. The bird was often working at the farthest tree line.

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX B700

ISO

200

Focal length

116.5 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

0.02 sec

Dimensions

5184 pixels x 3888 pixels

Original file size

7.98 MB