Ted
Caspian Terns were common night sounds in Toronto when I lived there, this occurred in mid summer and likely involved more local movements between Lake Ontario and smaller lakes to the north. But I don't doubt that they migrate at night, and in the right place you should hear them going by. I hear them on occasion here at night in the California Coast. I also hear Elegant Terns during the northbound post breeding movement (July - September) sometimes with the distinctive sounds of the young begging from the adults, this is also at night. Gulls and terns seem to be much more active at night than we give them credit for. In Hawaii too I have heard Sooty Terns overhead at night, well away from breeding areas and in places where I have never seen them in the day (like Kauai)! Regards, Alvaro Alvaro Jaramillo [email protected] Half Moon Bay, California Field Guides - Birding Tours Worldwide www.fieldguides.com _____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ted Floyd Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 9:57 AM To: Jeff Wells; Michael O'Brien Cc: [email protected] Subject: RE: [nfc-l] Night flight call station results-Maine-April 1-3 Hi, all. Random comment. A friend of mine says that Caspian Tern is one of the most characteristic night sounds where he lives in the Puget Sound area of northwest Washington. He hears them well from waterways, for what that's worth. Dunno if it's migration, or local birds moving around, or what; but, at least, the birds are vocal and on the go at night in that part of the continent. Ted Floyd [email protected] Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado _____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jeff Wells Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 2:09 PM To: Michael O'Brien Cc: [email protected] Subject: RE: [nfc-l] Night flight call station results-Maine-April 1-3 Very cool! Makes sense when you see large numbers of robins flying over in the early morning hours that they would be birds that have been moving at night. Funny though that over the years I don't recall picking up any within the 10 PM-2 AM window that I think of as indicating birds moving through the night as opposed to in the early morning hours when it is not as clear whether they just started migrating or are descending. Speaking of birds that move through the night but are not as readily detected, have any of you picked up terns other than Caspian Tern migrating at night? It's obvious that they migrate at night based on the way they just appear one morning in a location but it seems like you don't hear them. Though at least Caspian Terns in the fall when they have still-dependent young regularly call back and forth with the trailing young birds at night. Jeff -- NFC-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NFC_WELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NFC_RULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NFCL.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NFC-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
