Here are some more photos and audio of this interesting tern at Horseshoe Reservoir (southwest corner), Loveland, from earlier this evening (see link below). The two late afternoons that I have observed this bird, it has flown off at the end of the day toward Lake Loveland, where presumably it is roosting with the gull flock. Both times it was vocalizing as it flew overhead. So it is an opportunity to audio-record it. I believe the audio in the linked eBird checklist supports the ID of Arctic Tern. I might mention that I recorded this audio with the Merlin app (free from Cornell Lab of Ornithology). Merlin did not ID the vocalization. Arctic Tern is not yet in their database. Common Tern is.
Here is the link to the eBird checklist with photos and audio. https://ebird.org/checklist/S96708828. Nick Komar Fort Collins CO > On Oct 25, 2021, at 5:11 PM, James Bruening <[email protected]> wrote > > All, > > Thanks David for getting the word out. I originally found this Tern this > past Thursday and based on some blurry photos that I was convinced showed > dark secondaries that would have made it a Common Tern not an Arctic Tern. > It was certainly short-legged and shorter-billed but thought being a young > bird and getting dark outside that I'd stick with that ID until better photos > were procured. I finally got convincing (to my birdbrain) photos that show > clean, white secondaries that tipped the scales for me on the ID. I believe > the dark secondaries I was seeing was nothing more than dark, negative space > between the feathers. A lot of field marks go blurry when birds are far > away! But big shoutout to Nick Komar who just would not let up on this bird > and sent what decent photos he had out to the greater birding minds amongst > us to get feedback. The bird has been most often seen on the spit in the > southwest corner of the reservoir. Horseshoe Lake is accessible on that > southwest corner if you park on 41st Street and cross Monroe. This bird has > already been seen by many so hopefully it will stick for a few more days. > Moral of the story I guess is that it's ok to report Sterna sp first and get > better pics. I will add a bunch of pics but a few of them can be found on > this checklist: > > https://ebird.org/checklist/S96706316 > > Bird is the word! > > Josh Bruening > Fort Collins > >> On Monday, October 25, 2021 at 4:46:31 PM UTC-6 [email protected] wrote: >> Hi all, >> >> I was asked to post here that the bird thus far being reported as a Common >> Tern at Horseshoe Lake in Larimer County is in fact a (hatch-year) Arctic >> Tern. I am not the first to ID it as such, and I believe (correct if wrong) >> Josh Bruening is the original finder. >> >> Here is a list with pics. >> https://ebird.org/checklist/S96693524?view=photos >> >> >> >> Best, >> >> David Tonnessen >> >> > > -- > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Colorado Birds" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include > bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate > * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/5780cb3c-df1d-49b9-a2bb-60aa3b4b34f4n%40googlegroups.com. -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/70B57BB7-5A8F-447F-820F-851BDADB58EE%40comcast.net.
