ML643243608

Beobachtungsdetails

As we were watching the Sabine’s Gull over North Regional Pond, we noticed the bird join a Sterna tern in flight. It quickly struck as off for a Forster’s with shallow wingbeats and bounding flight, and in bins we identified it as a Common Tern based on its black rear cap that extended into the nape, black carpals, extensive black in the wingtips that extended into the secondaries (ruling out Arctic), black outer webs in the outer retrices, and a shorter tail than is typical of Forster’s. This bird hung out on North Regional Pond for the remainder of our visit, spending much of its time actively diving about the pond and some of the time resting on the western island. When perched the black nape and carpals were especially evident. Seen by many throughout the day, photos to be posted.