Re:[cayugabirds-l] [nysbirds-l] Possible Arctic Tern at Myers Point
Several people were at Myers Point from ~7:40-8:15 this morning before we had heard about the tern and did not see it or any other terns (or shorebirds for that matter). A very worn LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and two continuing female LESSER SCAUP were the most notable birds. Since then I have also checked Stewart Park, Myers again, and the tern breakwall at Union Springs without success. As usual, 30+ Common Terns were calling and loafing on the breakwall at Frontenac, but no suspicious birds. I did have an interested bird flying off Long Point State Park that was a candidate for the Arctic, but it disappeared too quickly to be sure, last seen heading south. A RUDDY TURNSTONE was on the point at Long Point, along with nine Caspian Terns. On Tue, Jun 2, 2015 at 11:55 AM, Kevin J. McGowan k...@cornell.edu wrote: I had a tern on the north side of Myers Point, Lansing, Tompkins County this morning that might have been an ARCTIC TERN. I have photos at https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nlytDEitT_i55UkdYGmeQNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink, and the following images. The bird was foraging back and forth in the bay north of Salt Point, south to the mouth of Salmon Creek. I first saw it there and lost it going north. Later I saw it moving along the shore of the bay, near docks on the north side. I went to Salt Point and watched it fly back and forth down the shoreline until I lost it on a northward move. I originally thought it was a Forster’s Tern because the upper surfaces of the wings were so clean and white. I could see flashes of white(er) in the wingtips on occasion when the bird banked, and never saw any dark in the inner section of the primaries, as I would expect with Common Tern. There was a thin solid dark trailing edge to the outermost primaries that did not extend to the innermost or the secondaries. Unlike Forster’s Tern, however, the belly was darker than the rump and face. The white rump extended onto the tail, not contrasting with it, which in the photos shows clearly darker outer edges. In the dim light I could not confirm a dark tip to the bill, but it did not look long or orange-based like a Forster’s. I jokingly told myself to stop thinking Common vs. Forster’s and start trying to make it into an Arctic Tern. But, I didn’t seriously consider the idea until I showed Jay the photos. Any *Sterna* tern is unusual in the county this time of year, so I hope others will go out and look for this bird. Kevin Kevin J. McGowan, Ph.D. Project Manager Distance Learning in Bird Biology Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850 k...@cornell.edu 607-254-2452 *Do you know about our other distance-learning opportunities? Visit * *http://www.birds.cornell.edu/courses* http://cornell.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=19023cad4ee=d3c0712a98* and learn about our comprehensive *Home Study Course in Bird Biology, *our online course *Investigating Behavior: Courtship and Rivalry in Birds http://cornell.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=d69183921ce=d3c0712a98*, our* Be A Better Birder *tutorials* http://cornell.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=9969512772e=d3c0712a98*, and our series of **webinars* http://cornell.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=946e880490e=d3c0712a98*. Purchase the webinars **here* http://cornell.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=d5d44c79f0e=d3c0712a98 *.* -- *NYSbirds-L List Info:* Welcome and Basics http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME Rules and Information http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Subscribe, Configuration and Leave http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm *Archives:* The Mail Archive http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html Surfbirds http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L BirdingOnThe.Net http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html *Please submit your observations to **eBird* http://ebird.org/content/ebird/*!* -- -- Jay McGowan Macaulay Library Cornell Lab of Ornithology jw...@cornell.edu -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] [nysbirds-l] Possible Arctic Tern at Myers Point
I'm on my way back from Maine for a short spell, so I'll look for it. Kevin's photo clearly shows the white demarcation line btwn the black cap and gray white underside of the Arctic Tern. That's my vote. Rose Borzik Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE Smartphone -- Original message-- From: Jay McGowan Date: Tue, Jun 2, 2015 2:43 PM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L; Subject:Re:[cayugabirds-l] [nysbirds-l] Possible Arctic Tern at Myers Point Several people were at Myers Point from ~7:40-8:15 this morning before we had heard about the tern and did not see it or any other terns (or shorebirds for that matter). A very worn LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and two continuing female LESSER SCAUP were the most notable birds. Since then I have also checked Stewart Park, Myers again, and the tern breakwall at Union Springs without success. As usual, 30+ Common Terns were calling and loafing on the breakwall at Frontenac, but no suspicious birds. I did have an interested bird flying off Long Point State Park that was a candidate for the Arctic, but it disappeared too quickly to be sure, last seen heading south. A RUDDY TURNSTONE was on the point at Long Point, along with nine Caspian Terns. On Tue, Jun 2, 2015 at 11:55 AM, Kevin J. McGowan k...@cornell.edumailto:k...@cornell.edu wrote: I had a tern on the north side of Myers Point, Lansing, Tompkins County this morning that might have been an ARCTIC TERN. I have photos at https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nlytDEitT_i55UkdYGmeQNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink, and the following images. The bird was foraging back and forth in the bay north of Salt Point, south to the mouth of Salmon Creek. I first saw it there and lost it going north. Later I saw it moving along the shore of the bay, near docks on the north side. I went to Salt Point and watched it fly back and forth down the shoreline until I lost it on a northward move. I originally thought it was a Forster's Tern because the upper surfaces of the wings were so clean and white. I could see flashes of white(er) in the wingtips on occasion when the bird banked, and never saw any dark in the inner section of the primaries, as I would expect with Common Tern. There was a thin solid dark trailing edge to the outermost primaries that did not extend to the innermost or the secondaries. Unlike Forster's Tern, however, the belly was darker than the rump and face. The white rump extended onto the tail, not contrasting with it, which in the photos shows clearly darker outer edges. In the dim light I could not confirm a dark tip to the bill, but it did not look long or orange-based like a Forster's. I jokingly told myself to stop thinking Common vs. Forster's and start trying to make it into an Arctic Tern. But, I didn't seriously consider the idea until I showed Jay the photos. Any Sterna tern is unusual in the county this time of year, so I hope others will go out and look for this bird. Kevin Kevin J. McGowan, Ph.D. Project Manager Distance Learning in Bird Biology Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850 k...@cornell.edumailto:k...@cornell.edu 607-254-2452tel:607-254-2452 Do you know about our other distance-learning opportunities? Visit http://www.birds.cornell.edu/courseshttp://cornell.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=19023cad4ee=d3c0712a98 and learn about our comprehensive Home Study Course in Bird Biology, our online course Investigating Behavior: Courtship and Rivalry in Birdshttp://cornell.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=d69183921ce=d3c0712a98, our Be A Better Birder tutorialshttp://cornell.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=9969512772e=d3c0712a98, and our series of webinarshttp://cornell.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=946e880490e=d3c0712a98. Purchase the webinars herehttp://cornell.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=d5d44c79f0e=d3c0712a98. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basicshttp://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME Rules and Informationhttp://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Subscribe, Configuration and Leavehttp://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm Archives: The Mail Archivehttp://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html Surfbirdshttp://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L BirdingOnThe.Nethttp://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBirdhttp://ebird.org/content/ebird/! -- -- Jay McGowan Macaulay Library Cornell Lab of Ornithology jw...@cornell.edumailto:jw...@cornell.edu -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basicshttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME Rules and Informationhttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES Subscribe, Configuration and Leavehttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm Archives: The Mail
[nysbirds-l] Possible Arctic Tern at Myers Point
I had a tern on the north side of Myers Point, Lansing, Tompkins County this morning that might have been an ARCTIC TERN. I have photos at https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nlytDEitT_i55UkdYGmeQNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink, and the following images. The bird was foraging back and forth in the bay north of Salt Point, south to the mouth of Salmon Creek. I first saw it there and lost it going north. Later I saw it moving along the shore of the bay, near docks on the north side. I went to Salt Point and watched it fly back and forth down the shoreline until I lost it on a northward move. I originally thought it was a Forster's Tern because the upper surfaces of the wings were so clean and white. I could see flashes of white(er) in the wingtips on occasion when the bird banked, and never saw any dark in the inner section of the primaries, as I would expect with Common Tern. There was a thin solid dark trailing edge to the outermost primaries that did not extend to the innermost or the secondaries. Unlike Forster's Tern, however, the belly was darker than the rump and face. The white rump extended onto the tail, not contrasting with it, which in the photos shows clearly darker outer edges. In the dim light I could not confirm a dark tip to the bill, but it did not look long or orange-based like a Forster's. I jokingly told myself to stop thinking Common vs. Forster's and start trying to make it into an Arctic Tern. But, I didn't seriously consider the idea until I showed Jay the photos. Any Sterna tern is unusual in the county this time of year, so I hope others will go out and look for this bird. Kevin Kevin J. McGowan, Ph.D. Project Manager Distance Learning in Bird Biology Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850 k...@cornell.edumailto:k...@cornell.edu 607-254-2452 Do you know about our other distance-learning opportunities? Visit http://www.birds.cornell.edu/courseshttp://cornell.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=19023cad4ee=d3c0712a98 and learn about our comprehensive Home Study Course in Bird Biology, our online course Investigating Behavior: Courtship and Rivalry in Birdshttp://cornell.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=d69183921ce=d3c0712a98, our Be A Better Birder tutorialshttp://cornell.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=9969512772e=d3c0712a98, and our series of webinarshttp://cornell.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=946e880490e=d3c0712a98. Purchase the webinars herehttp://cornell.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b35ddb671faf4a16c0ce32406id=d5d44c79f0e=d3c0712a98. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
