Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
To add another layer to the aging confusion, while also tying into the ROST banding conversation - here are two banded Roseate Terns I have recently encountered at Nickerson. I have now received reports from both of them. They were both banded as chicks, one on Great Gull Island, one in Connecticut, and both in 2016. I think anyone reading this conversation who encountered them in the field would call them adults by plumage, but by the terms defined, they are both second summers. https://www.flickr.com/photos/129132563@N05/27955753537/in/ dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/129132563@N05/28846030558/in/ dateposted-public/ On Tue, Jun 19, 2018 at 5:58 AM, Joseph DiCostanzo wrote: > Shai does an excellent job summarizing the complications of the terms. And > he makes a very important point about using the term “type” since there is > so much individual variation you cannot always reliably join plumage to > chronological age. I would disagree with one point however. On Great Gull > Island we trap numbers of Common Terns that are 20 years old or older. (I > frequently tell students the bird they are handling might be older than > they are.) Some seasons we may handle a hundred birds in this age bracket. > It is highly unusual for them to be visually different from from other > adults, so I would disagree with Shai’s statement that many Common Terns in > this age bracket look like TY birds. I should note that we are trapping > birds on nests with hatched chicks so they are generally in healthy > breeding condition. It is certainly possible that birds in subprime > condition may not be in full adult plumage. > > Joe DiCostanzo > > Sent from my iPad > > > On Jun 18, 2018, at 8:01 PM, Shaibal Mitra > wrote: > > > > Tim, > > > > There's an error here. > > > > Regardless of what's true of any given bird, note the following > equivalenciesduring June-July in NYS: > > > > Juvenile = HY = hatching-year > > First-summer = SY = Second calendar year > > Second-summer = TY = Third calendar year (but caveat: many this age look > like adults, and some adults look like this, hence "type") > > Adult = ATY = After Third calendar year. > > > > With terns: > > > > 1. the first-summer plumage (=SY =second calendar year) is usually > highly stereotyped; this is the "portlandica" plumage; one year-old birds > that differ obviously and consistently from breeding adults. > > > > 2. the second-summer type plumage (associated with but not identical to > TY = third calendar year) is highly variable. Part of this arises because > it comprises some actual TY birds (two years old; but note, many TY birds > attain definitive adult appearance), and also a percentage of older, fully > adult birds that are not in prime condition (very old Common Terns >20 > years old often look like this). > > > > Below are links to a series of second-summer type Arctic Tern > individuals, spanning the gamut from very delayed (almost > portlandica-looking) to nearly adult looking. The Arctic Terns that show up > on LI are non-breeders, and they range from classic first-summers through > all manner of second-summer types to almost adult-looking birds. But among > the latter, they almost always show some defect from full breeding adult > condition, and these occur all through June and early July. Thus I tend to > suspect them as mainly seond-summer = TY = Third year = two year-olds. > > > > https://flic.kr/p/VVHtaZ > > https://flic.kr/p/VhQ65U > > https://flic.kr/p/VT2po6 > > https://flic.kr/p/VCjr6C > > https://flic.kr/p/VPwvqd > > https://flic.kr/p/VT2pRk > > https://flic.kr/p/VCjq6G > > https://flic.kr/p/VT2rrp > > https://flic.kr/p/VT2otk > > https://flic.kr/p/VhQ6fo > > > > Best, > > Shai > > > > > > > > From: bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu [ > bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Timothy Healy [ > tp...@cornell.edu] > > Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 7:28 PM > > To: Steve Walter > > Cc: NYSBIRDS > > Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others > > > > This is where many banders and field biologists often use the > abbreviations SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second > year, a.k.a. second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are > pretty definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and > ARTE, birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile > coloration for their second calendar year. The black-billed, > white-foreheaded birds that are so abundant at the beach this season
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
To add another layer to the aging confusion, while also tying into the ROST banding conversation - here are two banded Roseate Terns I have recently encountered at Nickerson. I have now received reports from both of them. They were both banded as chicks, one on Great Gull Island, one in Connecticut, and both in 2016. I think anyone reading this conversation who encountered them in the field would call them adults by plumage, but by the terms defined, they are both second summers. https://www.flickr.com/photos/129132563@N05/27955753537/in/ dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/129132563@N05/28846030558/in/ dateposted-public/ On Tue, Jun 19, 2018 at 5:58 AM, Joseph DiCostanzo wrote: > Shai does an excellent job summarizing the complications of the terms. And > he makes a very important point about using the term “type” since there is > so much individual variation you cannot always reliably join plumage to > chronological age. I would disagree with one point however. On Great Gull > Island we trap numbers of Common Terns that are 20 years old or older. (I > frequently tell students the bird they are handling might be older than > they are.) Some seasons we may handle a hundred birds in this age bracket. > It is highly unusual for them to be visually different from from other > adults, so I would disagree with Shai’s statement that many Common Terns in > this age bracket look like TY birds. I should note that we are trapping > birds on nests with hatched chicks so they are generally in healthy > breeding condition. It is certainly possible that birds in subprime > condition may not be in full adult plumage. > > Joe DiCostanzo > > Sent from my iPad > > > On Jun 18, 2018, at 8:01 PM, Shaibal Mitra > wrote: > > > > Tim, > > > > There's an error here. > > > > Regardless of what's true of any given bird, note the following > equivalenciesduring June-July in NYS: > > > > Juvenile = HY = hatching-year > > First-summer = SY = Second calendar year > > Second-summer = TY = Third calendar year (but caveat: many this age look > like adults, and some adults look like this, hence "type") > > Adult = ATY = After Third calendar year. > > > > With terns: > > > > 1. the first-summer plumage (=SY =second calendar year) is usually > highly stereotyped; this is the "portlandica" plumage; one year-old birds > that differ obviously and consistently from breeding adults. > > > > 2. the second-summer type plumage (associated with but not identical to > TY = third calendar year) is highly variable. Part of this arises because > it comprises some actual TY birds (two years old; but note, many TY birds > attain definitive adult appearance), and also a percentage of older, fully > adult birds that are not in prime condition (very old Common Terns >20 > years old often look like this). > > > > Below are links to a series of second-summer type Arctic Tern > individuals, spanning the gamut from very delayed (almost > portlandica-looking) to nearly adult looking. The Arctic Terns that show up > on LI are non-breeders, and they range from classic first-summers through > all manner of second-summer types to almost adult-looking birds. But among > the latter, they almost always show some defect from full breeding adult > condition, and these occur all through June and early July. Thus I tend to > suspect them as mainly seond-summer = TY = Third year = two year-olds. > > > > https://flic.kr/p/VVHtaZ > > https://flic.kr/p/VhQ65U > > https://flic.kr/p/VT2po6 > > https://flic.kr/p/VCjr6C > > https://flic.kr/p/VPwvqd > > https://flic.kr/p/VT2pRk > > https://flic.kr/p/VCjq6G > > https://flic.kr/p/VT2rrp > > https://flic.kr/p/VT2otk > > https://flic.kr/p/VhQ6fo > > > > Best, > > Shai > > > > > > > > From: bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu [ > bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Timothy Healy [ > tp...@cornell.edu] > > Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 7:28 PM > > To: Steve Walter > > Cc: NYSBIRDS > > Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others > > > > This is where many banders and field biologists often use the > abbreviations SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second > year, a.k.a. second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are > pretty definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and > ARTE, birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile > coloration for their second calendar year. The black-billed, > white-foreheaded birds that are so abundant at the beach this season
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Shai does an excellent job summarizing the complications of the terms. And he makes a very important point about using the term “type” since there is so much individual variation you cannot always reliably join plumage to chronological age. I would disagree with one point however. On Great Gull Island we trap numbers of Common Terns that are 20 years old or older. (I frequently tell students the bird they are handling might be older than they are.) Some seasons we may handle a hundred birds in this age bracket. It is highly unusual for them to be visually different from from other adults, so I would disagree with Shai’s statement that many Common Terns in this age bracket look like TY birds. I should note that we are trapping birds on nests with hatched chicks so they are generally in healthy breeding condition. It is certainly possible that birds in subprime condition may not be in full adult plumage. Joe DiCostanzo Sent from my iPad > On Jun 18, 2018, at 8:01 PM, Shaibal Mitra wrote: > > Tim, > > There's an error here. > > Regardless of what's true of any given bird, note the following > equivalenciesduring June-July in NYS: > > Juvenile = HY = hatching-year > First-summer = SY = Second calendar year > Second-summer = TY = Third calendar year (but caveat: many this age look like > adults, and some adults look like this, hence "type") > Adult = ATY = After Third calendar year. > > With terns: > > 1. the first-summer plumage (=SY =second calendar year) is usually highly > stereotyped; this is the "portlandica" plumage; one year-old birds that > differ obviously and consistently from breeding adults. > > 2. the second-summer type plumage (associated with but not identical to TY = > third calendar year) is highly variable. Part of this arises because it > comprises some actual TY birds (two years old; but note, many TY birds attain > definitive adult appearance), and also a percentage of older, fully adult > birds that are not in prime condition (very old Common Terns >20 years old > often look like this). > > Below are links to a series of second-summer type Arctic Tern individuals, > spanning the gamut from very delayed (almost portlandica-looking) to nearly > adult looking. The Arctic Terns that show up on LI are non-breeders, and they > range from classic first-summers through all manner of second-summer types to > almost adult-looking birds. But among the latter, they almost always show > some defect from full breeding adult condition, and these occur all through > June and early July. Thus I tend to suspect them as mainly seond-summer = TY > = Third year = two year-olds. > > https://flic.kr/p/VVHtaZ > https://flic.kr/p/VhQ65U > https://flic.kr/p/VT2po6 > https://flic.kr/p/VCjr6C > https://flic.kr/p/VPwvqd > https://flic.kr/p/VT2pRk > https://flic.kr/p/VCjq6G > https://flic.kr/p/VT2rrp > https://flic.kr/p/VT2otk > https://flic.kr/p/VhQ6fo > > Best, > Shai > > > > From: bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu > [bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Timothy Healy > [tp...@cornell.edu] > Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 7:28 PM > To: Steve Walter > Cc: NYSBIRDS > Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others > > This is where many banders and field biologists often use the abbreviations > SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second year, a.k.a. > second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are pretty > definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and ARTE, > birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile coloration for > their second calendar year. The black-billed, white-foreheaded birds that are > so abundant at the beach this season are coming up on a year old. This > “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some smudges, flecks, and short streamers > to separate it from a classic mature bird, is probably at least two years > old. I certainly don’t think it was born during the last season, which is > what I understand makes a second summer bird. It may be in its third summer, > or maybe it’s older and just a little funky. I reported it on eBird as ASY, > because it is definitely far more progressed than the typical yearling birds > loafing around the inlets. > > Cheers! > -Tim H > > On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter > mailto:swalte...@verizon.net>> wrote: > > Tim, > > In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for birds > that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of recent > days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever reason, are not > complete.
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Shai does an excellent job summarizing the complications of the terms. And he makes a very important point about using the term “type” since there is so much individual variation you cannot always reliably join plumage to chronological age. I would disagree with one point however. On Great Gull Island we trap numbers of Common Terns that are 20 years old or older. (I frequently tell students the bird they are handling might be older than they are.) Some seasons we may handle a hundred birds in this age bracket. It is highly unusual for them to be visually different from from other adults, so I would disagree with Shai’s statement that many Common Terns in this age bracket look like TY birds. I should note that we are trapping birds on nests with hatched chicks so they are generally in healthy breeding condition. It is certainly possible that birds in subprime condition may not be in full adult plumage. Joe DiCostanzo Sent from my iPad > On Jun 18, 2018, at 8:01 PM, Shaibal Mitra wrote: > > Tim, > > There's an error here. > > Regardless of what's true of any given bird, note the following > equivalenciesduring June-July in NYS: > > Juvenile = HY = hatching-year > First-summer = SY = Second calendar year > Second-summer = TY = Third calendar year (but caveat: many this age look like > adults, and some adults look like this, hence "type") > Adult = ATY = After Third calendar year. > > With terns: > > 1. the first-summer plumage (=SY =second calendar year) is usually highly > stereotyped; this is the "portlandica" plumage; one year-old birds that > differ obviously and consistently from breeding adults. > > 2. the second-summer type plumage (associated with but not identical to TY = > third calendar year) is highly variable. Part of this arises because it > comprises some actual TY birds (two years old; but note, many TY birds attain > definitive adult appearance), and also a percentage of older, fully adult > birds that are not in prime condition (very old Common Terns >20 years old > often look like this). > > Below are links to a series of second-summer type Arctic Tern individuals, > spanning the gamut from very delayed (almost portlandica-looking) to nearly > adult looking. The Arctic Terns that show up on LI are non-breeders, and they > range from classic first-summers through all manner of second-summer types to > almost adult-looking birds. But among the latter, they almost always show > some defect from full breeding adult condition, and these occur all through > June and early July. Thus I tend to suspect them as mainly seond-summer = TY > = Third year = two year-olds. > > https://flic.kr/p/VVHtaZ > https://flic.kr/p/VhQ65U > https://flic.kr/p/VT2po6 > https://flic.kr/p/VCjr6C > https://flic.kr/p/VPwvqd > https://flic.kr/p/VT2pRk > https://flic.kr/p/VCjq6G > https://flic.kr/p/VT2rrp > https://flic.kr/p/VT2otk > https://flic.kr/p/VhQ6fo > > Best, > Shai > > > > From: bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu > [bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Timothy Healy > [tp...@cornell.edu] > Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 7:28 PM > To: Steve Walter > Cc: NYSBIRDS > Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others > > This is where many banders and field biologists often use the abbreviations > SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second year, a.k.a. > second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are pretty > definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and ARTE, > birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile coloration for > their second calendar year. The black-billed, white-foreheaded birds that are > so abundant at the beach this season are coming up on a year old. This > “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some smudges, flecks, and short streamers > to separate it from a classic mature bird, is probably at least two years > old. I certainly don’t think it was born during the last season, which is > what I understand makes a second summer bird. It may be in its third summer, > or maybe it’s older and just a little funky. I reported it on eBird as ASY, > because it is definitely far more progressed than the typical yearling birds > loafing around the inlets. > > Cheers! > -Tim H > > On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter > mailto:swalte...@verizon.net>> wrote: > > Tim, > > In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for birds > that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of recent > days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever reason, are not > complete.
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Steve, These color bands with the large letters have been used at Roseate Tern colonies for the last few years. They are known as PFRs (Plastic Field Readable bands). They are the latest incarnation of attempts to devise a band that is easily identifiable in the field. An important point to remember in recording these bands is that the coloring of the characters is just as important as the color of the band. I am guessing that the two blue bands you mention had white lettering. If you confirm this I will see if I can get them identified. I would encourage anyone seeing these bands to report them to the US Bird Banding Lab’s website (pwrc.usgs.gov). This will get them into the national dataset and you will find out where they are from. One last note: while all the reports I have seen recently have been of bands with a letter and two digits, there are also PFRs in use now with two letters and a digit. Joe DiCostanzo Sent from my iPad > On Jun 18, 2018, at 6:05 PM, Steve Walter wrote: > > Another day, another Arctic Tern at Nickerson Beach. Actually, my first for > the year, and this one had to be waited on. It might have been too foggy in > the morning for it to find land (joke). Interesting bird this one. My tern > guru advises me to call it a “second summer type”. Basically adult looking > with a red bill, but with a carpal bar and speckling on the forehead (not > well visible in the picture I posted). In a similar vein, there was a Roseate > Tern of less than full adult appearance. This bird, and also a full adult, > had readable blue legs bands. Maybe others have seen this, but this is the > first time I’ve seen terns with something more readable in the field than the > metal bands. I’ll reports these (bands B97 and Y11) and find out more in due > time. But perhaps someone on this list might know something (Joe D?). Also, > a Gull-billed Tern flying over the east tern colony around mid-day. Pictures > of the Arctic and Roseates have been added to the bottom of the Recent Work > page at my web site http://stevewalternature.com/ . > > Steve Walter > Bayside, NY > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > ABA > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Steve, These color bands with the large letters have been used at Roseate Tern colonies for the last few years. They are known as PFRs (Plastic Field Readable bands). They are the latest incarnation of attempts to devise a band that is easily identifiable in the field. An important point to remember in recording these bands is that the coloring of the characters is just as important as the color of the band. I am guessing that the two blue bands you mention had white lettering. If you confirm this I will see if I can get them identified. I would encourage anyone seeing these bands to report them to the US Bird Banding Lab’s website (pwrc.usgs.gov). This will get them into the national dataset and you will find out where they are from. One last note: while all the reports I have seen recently have been of bands with a letter and two digits, there are also PFRs in use now with two letters and a digit. Joe DiCostanzo Sent from my iPad > On Jun 18, 2018, at 6:05 PM, Steve Walter wrote: > > Another day, another Arctic Tern at Nickerson Beach. Actually, my first for > the year, and this one had to be waited on. It might have been too foggy in > the morning for it to find land (joke). Interesting bird this one. My tern > guru advises me to call it a “second summer type”. Basically adult looking > with a red bill, but with a carpal bar and speckling on the forehead (not > well visible in the picture I posted). In a similar vein, there was a Roseate > Tern of less than full adult appearance. This bird, and also a full adult, > had readable blue legs bands. Maybe others have seen this, but this is the > first time I’ve seen terns with something more readable in the field than the > metal bands. I’ll reports these (bands B97 and Y11) and find out more in due > time. But perhaps someone on this list might know something (Joe D?). Also, > a Gull-billed Tern flying over the east tern colony around mid-day. Pictures > of the Arctic and Roseates have been added to the bottom of the Recent Work > page at my web site http://stevewalternature.com/ . > > Steve Walter > Bayside, NY > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > ABA > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
As interested as I am in the aging of these birds, I'm just gonna keep reading the thoughts of others. But going back to the how-many-Arctic-Terns-are-we-seeing thread: Tim, My Sunday and Friday birds were different. Look at my pictures from Friday <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46569053> and Sunday <http://sunday/>. Looking back at Tim's pictures <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46604935>, I'm now wondering if on Sunday morning he had my Friday bird (or at least a similar one), and then we found an entirely new one later after he left. When comparing, look especially at the upper primaries (quite light on my Friday bird, dark on my Sunday), bill color, leg color (both much deeper red on Sunday than on Friday). Andrew, this would kind of square with what you thought happened as well... Maybe the group of us saw both on Sunday morning, but we documented the second one better...? Anyway, thanks all for the crash course in everything ARTE. I feel like the past few weeks have been all ARTE all the time. Tripper On Mon, Jun 18, 2018 at 8:01 PM, Shaibal Mitra wrote: > Tim, > > There's an error here. > > Regardless of what's true of any given bird, note the following > equivalenciesduring June-July in NYS: > > Juvenile = HY = hatching-year > First-summer = SY = Second calendar year > Second-summer = TY = Third calendar year (but caveat: many this age look > like adults, and some adults look like this, hence "type") > Adult = ATY = After Third calendar year. > > With terns: > > 1. the first-summer plumage (=SY =second calendar year) is usually highly > stereotyped; this is the "portlandica" plumage; one year-old birds that > differ obviously and consistently from breeding adults. > > 2. the second-summer type plumage (associated with but not identical to TY > = third calendar year) is highly variable. Part of this arises because it > comprises some actual TY birds (two years old; but note, many TY birds > attain definitive adult appearance), and also a percentage of older, fully > adult birds that are not in prime condition (very old Common Terns >20 > years old often look like this). > > Below are links to a series of second-summer type Arctic Tern individuals, > spanning the gamut from very delayed (almost portlandica-looking) to nearly > adult looking. The Arctic Terns that show up on LI are non-breeders, and > they range from classic first-summers through all manner of second-summer > types to almost adult-looking birds. But among the latter, they almost > always show some defect from full breeding adult condition, and these occur > all through June and early July. Thus I tend to suspect them as mainly > seond-summer = TY = Third year = two year-olds. > > https://flic.kr/p/VVHtaZ > https://flic.kr/p/VhQ65U > https://flic.kr/p/VT2po6 > https://flic.kr/p/VCjr6C > https://flic.kr/p/VPwvqd > https://flic.kr/p/VT2pRk > https://flic.kr/p/VCjq6G > https://flic.kr/p/VT2rrp > https://flic.kr/p/VT2otk > https://flic.kr/p/VhQ6fo > > Best, > Shai > > > > From: bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-122646499-3714944@ > list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Timothy Healy [tp...@cornell.edu] > Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 7:28 PM > To: Steve Walter > Cc: NYSBIRDS > Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others > > This is where many banders and field biologists often use the > abbreviations SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second > year, a.k.a. second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are > pretty definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and > ARTE, birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile > coloration for their second calendar year. The black-billed, > white-foreheaded birds that are so abundant at the beach this season are > coming up on a year old. This “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some > smudges, flecks, and short streamers to separate it from a classic mature > bird, is probably at least two years old. I certainly don’t think it was > born during the last season, which is what I understand makes a second > summer bird. It may be in its third summer, or maybe it’s older and just a > little funky. I reported it on eBird as ASY, because it is definitely far > more progressed than the typical yearling birds loafing around the inlets. > > Cheers! > -Tim H > > On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter swalte...@verizon.net>> wrote: > > Tim, > > In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for > birds that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of > recent days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever rea
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
As interested as I am in the aging of these birds, I'm just gonna keep reading the thoughts of others. But going back to the how-many-Arctic-Terns-are-we-seeing thread: Tim, My Sunday and Friday birds were different. Look at my pictures from Friday <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46569053> and Sunday <http://sunday/>. Looking back at Tim's pictures <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46604935>, I'm now wondering if on Sunday morning he had my Friday bird (or at least a similar one), and then we found an entirely new one later after he left. When comparing, look especially at the upper primaries (quite light on my Friday bird, dark on my Sunday), bill color, leg color (both much deeper red on Sunday than on Friday). Andrew, this would kind of square with what you thought happened as well... Maybe the group of us saw both on Sunday morning, but we documented the second one better...? Anyway, thanks all for the crash course in everything ARTE. I feel like the past few weeks have been all ARTE all the time. Tripper On Mon, Jun 18, 2018 at 8:01 PM, Shaibal Mitra wrote: > Tim, > > There's an error here. > > Regardless of what's true of any given bird, note the following > equivalenciesduring June-July in NYS: > > Juvenile = HY = hatching-year > First-summer = SY = Second calendar year > Second-summer = TY = Third calendar year (but caveat: many this age look > like adults, and some adults look like this, hence "type") > Adult = ATY = After Third calendar year. > > With terns: > > 1. the first-summer plumage (=SY =second calendar year) is usually highly > stereotyped; this is the "portlandica" plumage; one year-old birds that > differ obviously and consistently from breeding adults. > > 2. the second-summer type plumage (associated with but not identical to TY > = third calendar year) is highly variable. Part of this arises because it > comprises some actual TY birds (two years old; but note, many TY birds > attain definitive adult appearance), and also a percentage of older, fully > adult birds that are not in prime condition (very old Common Terns >20 > years old often look like this). > > Below are links to a series of second-summer type Arctic Tern individuals, > spanning the gamut from very delayed (almost portlandica-looking) to nearly > adult looking. The Arctic Terns that show up on LI are non-breeders, and > they range from classic first-summers through all manner of second-summer > types to almost adult-looking birds. But among the latter, they almost > always show some defect from full breeding adult condition, and these occur > all through June and early July. Thus I tend to suspect them as mainly > seond-summer = TY = Third year = two year-olds. > > https://flic.kr/p/VVHtaZ > https://flic.kr/p/VhQ65U > https://flic.kr/p/VT2po6 > https://flic.kr/p/VCjr6C > https://flic.kr/p/VPwvqd > https://flic.kr/p/VT2pRk > https://flic.kr/p/VCjq6G > https://flic.kr/p/VT2rrp > https://flic.kr/p/VT2otk > https://flic.kr/p/VhQ6fo > > Best, > Shai > > > > From: bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-122646499-3714944@ > list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Timothy Healy [tp...@cornell.edu] > Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 7:28 PM > To: Steve Walter > Cc: NYSBIRDS > Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others > > This is where many banders and field biologists often use the > abbreviations SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second > year, a.k.a. second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are > pretty definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and > ARTE, birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile > coloration for their second calendar year. The black-billed, > white-foreheaded birds that are so abundant at the beach this season are > coming up on a year old. This “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some > smudges, flecks, and short streamers to separate it from a classic mature > bird, is probably at least two years old. I certainly don’t think it was > born during the last season, which is what I understand makes a second > summer bird. It may be in its third summer, or maybe it’s older and just a > little funky. I reported it on eBird as ASY, because it is definitely far > more progressed than the typical yearling birds loafing around the inlets. > > Cheers! > -Tim H > > On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter swalte...@verizon.net>> wrote: > > Tim, > > In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for > birds that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of > recent days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever rea
RE: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Tim, There's an error here. Regardless of what's true of any given bird, note the following equivalenciesduring June-July in NYS: Juvenile = HY = hatching-year First-summer = SY = Second calendar year Second-summer = TY = Third calendar year (but caveat: many this age look like adults, and some adults look like this, hence "type") Adult = ATY = After Third calendar year. With terns: 1. the first-summer plumage (=SY =second calendar year) is usually highly stereotyped; this is the "portlandica" plumage; one year-old birds that differ obviously and consistently from breeding adults. 2. the second-summer type plumage (associated with but not identical to TY = third calendar year) is highly variable. Part of this arises because it comprises some actual TY birds (two years old; but note, many TY birds attain definitive adult appearance), and also a percentage of older, fully adult birds that are not in prime condition (very old Common Terns >20 years old often look like this). Below are links to a series of second-summer type Arctic Tern individuals, spanning the gamut from very delayed (almost portlandica-looking) to nearly adult looking. The Arctic Terns that show up on LI are non-breeders, and they range from classic first-summers through all manner of second-summer types to almost adult-looking birds. But among the latter, they almost always show some defect from full breeding adult condition, and these occur all through June and early July. Thus I tend to suspect them as mainly seond-summer = TY = Third year = two year-olds. https://flic.kr/p/VVHtaZ https://flic.kr/p/VhQ65U https://flic.kr/p/VT2po6 https://flic.kr/p/VCjr6C https://flic.kr/p/VPwvqd https://flic.kr/p/VT2pRk https://flic.kr/p/VCjq6G https://flic.kr/p/VT2rrp https://flic.kr/p/VT2otk https://flic.kr/p/VhQ6fo Best, Shai From: bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Timothy Healy [tp...@cornell.edu] Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 7:28 PM To: Steve Walter Cc: NYSBIRDS Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others This is where many banders and field biologists often use the abbreviations SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second year, a.k.a. second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are pretty definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and ARTE, birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile coloration for their second calendar year. The black-billed, white-foreheaded birds that are so abundant at the beach this season are coming up on a year old. This “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some smudges, flecks, and short streamers to separate it from a classic mature bird, is probably at least two years old. I certainly don’t think it was born during the last season, which is what I understand makes a second summer bird. It may be in its third summer, or maybe it’s older and just a little funky. I reported it on eBird as ASY, because it is definitely far more progressed than the typical yearling birds loafing around the inlets. Cheers! -Tim H On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter mailto:swalte...@verizon.net>> wrote: Tim, In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for birds that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of recent days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever reason, are not complete. And adult traits may not develop in sync in younger birds. Looking back at the weekend’s posts, I saw that Pat Lindsay made a point about her “second summer type” having a black bill. Today’s had a red bill. So a two year old? Probably. But definitely? Maybe, maybe not. It looks like it – so “second summer type” works for the public record. Steve From: Timothy Healy [mailto:tp...@cornell.edu] Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 6:49 PM To: Steve Walter mailto:swalte...@verizon.net>> Cc: NYSBIRDS mailto:nysbird...@list.cornell.edu>> Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others Steve and other sternid enthusiasts, Isn’t second summer the term used for the immature aspect birds with white foreheads and black bills? A freshly fledged juvenile would be living through its first summer, so second summer individuals are yearlings, correct? If my understanding of the nomenclature is accurate, the bird I found yesterday, which matches Steve’s description and the photos of Tripper’s bird from Friday, would be in its third summer or older. At a glance it looks like a classic alternate plumage adult ARTE, but the faint darker smudging on the carpal bar and the tail streamers that don’t extend beyond the folded wingtips indicate that it is not fully mature. I saw a similarly marked individual at Nickerson last year, and in 2015 I got a photo of an adult-like ARTE with a surprisingly dark bill. The variation
RE: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Tim, There's an error here. Regardless of what's true of any given bird, note the following equivalenciesduring June-July in NYS: Juvenile = HY = hatching-year First-summer = SY = Second calendar year Second-summer = TY = Third calendar year (but caveat: many this age look like adults, and some adults look like this, hence "type") Adult = ATY = After Third calendar year. With terns: 1. the first-summer plumage (=SY =second calendar year) is usually highly stereotyped; this is the "portlandica" plumage; one year-old birds that differ obviously and consistently from breeding adults. 2. the second-summer type plumage (associated with but not identical to TY = third calendar year) is highly variable. Part of this arises because it comprises some actual TY birds (two years old; but note, many TY birds attain definitive adult appearance), and also a percentage of older, fully adult birds that are not in prime condition (very old Common Terns >20 years old often look like this). Below are links to a series of second-summer type Arctic Tern individuals, spanning the gamut from very delayed (almost portlandica-looking) to nearly adult looking. The Arctic Terns that show up on LI are non-breeders, and they range from classic first-summers through all manner of second-summer types to almost adult-looking birds. But among the latter, they almost always show some defect from full breeding adult condition, and these occur all through June and early July. Thus I tend to suspect them as mainly seond-summer = TY = Third year = two year-olds. https://flic.kr/p/VVHtaZ https://flic.kr/p/VhQ65U https://flic.kr/p/VT2po6 https://flic.kr/p/VCjr6C https://flic.kr/p/VPwvqd https://flic.kr/p/VT2pRk https://flic.kr/p/VCjq6G https://flic.kr/p/VT2rrp https://flic.kr/p/VT2otk https://flic.kr/p/VhQ6fo Best, Shai From: bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-122646499-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Timothy Healy [tp...@cornell.edu] Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 7:28 PM To: Steve Walter Cc: NYSBIRDS Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others This is where many banders and field biologists often use the abbreviations SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second year, a.k.a. second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are pretty definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and ARTE, birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile coloration for their second calendar year. The black-billed, white-foreheaded birds that are so abundant at the beach this season are coming up on a year old. This “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some smudges, flecks, and short streamers to separate it from a classic mature bird, is probably at least two years old. I certainly don’t think it was born during the last season, which is what I understand makes a second summer bird. It may be in its third summer, or maybe it’s older and just a little funky. I reported it on eBird as ASY, because it is definitely far more progressed than the typical yearling birds loafing around the inlets. Cheers! -Tim H On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter mailto:swalte...@verizon.net>> wrote: Tim, In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for birds that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of recent days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever reason, are not complete. And adult traits may not develop in sync in younger birds. Looking back at the weekend’s posts, I saw that Pat Lindsay made a point about her “second summer type” having a black bill. Today’s had a red bill. So a two year old? Probably. But definitely? Maybe, maybe not. It looks like it – so “second summer type” works for the public record. Steve From: Timothy Healy [mailto:tp...@cornell.edu] Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 6:49 PM To: Steve Walter mailto:swalte...@verizon.net>> Cc: NYSBIRDS mailto:nysbird...@list.cornell.edu>> Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others Steve and other sternid enthusiasts, Isn’t second summer the term used for the immature aspect birds with white foreheads and black bills? A freshly fledged juvenile would be living through its first summer, so second summer individuals are yearlings, correct? If my understanding of the nomenclature is accurate, the bird I found yesterday, which matches Steve’s description and the photos of Tripper’s bird from Friday, would be in its third summer or older. At a glance it looks like a classic alternate plumage adult ARTE, but the faint darker smudging on the carpal bar and the tail streamers that don’t extend beyond the folded wingtips indicate that it is not fully mature. I saw a similarly marked individual at Nickerson last year, and in 2015 I got a photo of an adult-like ARTE with a surprisingly dark bill. The variation
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Everyone patient and curious enough to follow this conversation,
Interestingly, Steve’s bird does like like a different individual from the one
I reported yesterday morning.
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46604935
The white forehead speckling on Steve’s photographed bird is more prominent,
the shakiness on the carpal bar seems more pronounced, and the tail streamers
are longer than the wingtips. Yesterday’s bird looked more “mature” and
classically Arctic yet its tail was only about as long the folded wings.
Tripper’s bird from Friday, which to my knowledge was not seen on Saturday,
also has short streamers and looks very similar to the one I documented.
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46569053
With the dark-billed youngster from Saturday taken into account, we have quite
a few individual Arctic Terns coming and going from this site alone. That’s to
say nothing of all the other reports up and down the Island in the past few
weeks. I’m personally fascinated by all of this, it seems like we agree always
learning more about the transient terns here. I wasn’t planning on plugging
myself when I jumped in on this conversation, but I did publish a piece about
all of this today.
http://nemesisbird.com/birding/tern-it-up/
Keep on getting out there and scouring the tern flocks, everyone. Methinks
we’re due for another whopper of a surprise.
Cheers!
-Tim H
> On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:40 PM, Andrew Baksh wrote:
>
> Hi Tim,
>
> I would be in the ASY camp on this bird as well. Fascinating bird and
> excellent photo from Steve.
>
> Yesterday at Nickerson a group of us had an entirely different bird and I
> thought I had a second bird that looked like this one but could never connect
> with it after my initial observation.
>
> Good to see more folks documenting the Arctic Terns as we will find there are
> more of them moving through now that we have more eyes sifting through the
> flock.
>
> Cheers,
>
>
> "I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule
> of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence." ~
> Frederick Douglass
>
> 風 Swift as the wind
> 林 Quiet as the forest
> 火 Conquer like the fire
> 山 Steady as the mountain
> Sun Tzu The Art of War
>
>> (\__/)
>> (= '.'=)
>> (") _ (")
>> Sent from somewhere in the field using my mobile device!
>
> Andrew Baksh
> www.birdingdude.blogspot.com
>
>> On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:28 PM, Timothy Healy wrote:
>>
>> This is where many banders and field biologists often use the abbreviations
>> SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second year, a.k.a.
>> second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are pretty
>> definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and ARTE,
>> birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile coloration for
>> their second calendar year. The black-billed, white-foreheaded birds that
>> are so abundant at the beach this season are coming up on a year old. This
>> “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some smudges, flecks, and short
>> streamers to separate it from a classic mature bird, is probably at least
>> two years old. I certainly don’t think it was born during the last season,
>> which is what I understand makes a second summer bird. It may be in its
>> third summer, or maybe it’s older and just a little funky. I reported it on
>> eBird as ASY, because it is definitely far more progressed than the typical
>> yearling birds loafing around the inlets.
>>
>> Cheers!
>> -Tim H
>>
>>> On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter wrote:
>>>
>>> Tim,
>>>
>>> In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for birds
>>> that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of recent
>>> days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever reason, are not
>>> complete. And adult traits may not develop in sync in younger birds.
>>> Looking back at the weekend’s posts, I saw that Pat Lindsay made a point
>>> about her “second summer type” having a black bill. Today’s had a red bill.
>>> So a two year old? Probably. But definitely? Maybe, maybe not. It looks
>>> like it – so “second summer type” works for the public record.
>>>
>>> Steve
>>>
>>>
>>> From: Timothy Healy [mailto:tp...@cornell.edu]
>>> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 6:49 PM
>>> To: Steve Walter
>>> Cc: NYSBIRDS
>>> Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arct
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Everyone patient and curious enough to follow this conversation,
Interestingly, Steve’s bird does like like a different individual from the one
I reported yesterday morning.
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46604935
The white forehead speckling on Steve’s photographed bird is more prominent,
the shakiness on the carpal bar seems more pronounced, and the tail streamers
are longer than the wingtips. Yesterday’s bird looked more “mature” and
classically Arctic yet its tail was only about as long the folded wings.
Tripper’s bird from Friday, which to my knowledge was not seen on Saturday,
also has short streamers and looks very similar to the one I documented.
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46569053
With the dark-billed youngster from Saturday taken into account, we have quite
a few individual Arctic Terns coming and going from this site alone. That’s to
say nothing of all the other reports up and down the Island in the past few
weeks. I’m personally fascinated by all of this, it seems like we agree always
learning more about the transient terns here. I wasn’t planning on plugging
myself when I jumped in on this conversation, but I did publish a piece about
all of this today.
http://nemesisbird.com/birding/tern-it-up/
Keep on getting out there and scouring the tern flocks, everyone. Methinks
we’re due for another whopper of a surprise.
Cheers!
-Tim H
> On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:40 PM, Andrew Baksh wrote:
>
> Hi Tim,
>
> I would be in the ASY camp on this bird as well. Fascinating bird and
> excellent photo from Steve.
>
> Yesterday at Nickerson a group of us had an entirely different bird and I
> thought I had a second bird that looked like this one but could never connect
> with it after my initial observation.
>
> Good to see more folks documenting the Arctic Terns as we will find there are
> more of them moving through now that we have more eyes sifting through the
> flock.
>
> Cheers,
>
>
> "I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule
> of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence." ~
> Frederick Douglass
>
> 風 Swift as the wind
> 林 Quiet as the forest
> 火 Conquer like the fire
> 山 Steady as the mountain
> Sun Tzu The Art of War
>
>> (\__/)
>> (= '.'=)
>> (") _ (")
>> Sent from somewhere in the field using my mobile device!
>
> Andrew Baksh
> www.birdingdude.blogspot.com
>
>> On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:28 PM, Timothy Healy wrote:
>>
>> This is where many banders and field biologists often use the abbreviations
>> SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second year, a.k.a.
>> second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are pretty
>> definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and ARTE,
>> birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile coloration for
>> their second calendar year. The black-billed, white-foreheaded birds that
>> are so abundant at the beach this season are coming up on a year old. This
>> “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some smudges, flecks, and short
>> streamers to separate it from a classic mature bird, is probably at least
>> two years old. I certainly don’t think it was born during the last season,
>> which is what I understand makes a second summer bird. It may be in its
>> third summer, or maybe it’s older and just a little funky. I reported it on
>> eBird as ASY, because it is definitely far more progressed than the typical
>> yearling birds loafing around the inlets.
>>
>> Cheers!
>> -Tim H
>>
>>> On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter wrote:
>>>
>>> Tim,
>>>
>>> In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for birds
>>> that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of recent
>>> days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever reason, are not
>>> complete. And adult traits may not develop in sync in younger birds.
>>> Looking back at the weekend’s posts, I saw that Pat Lindsay made a point
>>> about her “second summer type” having a black bill. Today’s had a red bill.
>>> So a two year old? Probably. But definitely? Maybe, maybe not. It looks
>>> like it – so “second summer type” works for the public record.
>>>
>>> Steve
>>>
>>>
>>> From: Timothy Healy [mailto:tp...@cornell.edu]
>>> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 6:49 PM
>>> To: Steve Walter
>>> Cc: NYSBIRDS
>>> Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arct
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Hi Tim,
I would be in the ASY camp on this bird as well. Fascinating bird and excellent
photo from Steve.
Yesterday at Nickerson a group of us had an entirely different bird and I
thought I had a second bird that looked like this one but could never connect
with it after my initial observation.
Good to see more folks documenting the Arctic Terns as we will find there are
more of them moving through now that we have more eyes sifting through the
flock.
Cheers,
"I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of
others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence." ~ Frederick
Douglass
風 Swift as the wind
林 Quiet as the forest
火 Conquer like the fire
山 Steady as the mountain
Sun Tzu The Art of War
> (\__/)
> (= '.'=)
> (") _ (")
> Sent from somewhere in the field using my mobile device!
Andrew Baksh
www.birdingdude.blogspot.com
> On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:28 PM, Timothy Healy wrote:
>
> This is where many banders and field biologists often use the abbreviations
> SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second year, a.k.a.
> second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are pretty
> definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and ARTE,
> birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile coloration for
> their second calendar year. The black-billed, white-foreheaded birds that are
> so abundant at the beach this season are coming up on a year old. This
> “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some smudges, flecks, and short streamers
> to separate it from a classic mature bird, is probably at least two years
> old. I certainly don’t think it was born during the last season, which is
> what I understand makes a second summer bird. It may be in its third summer,
> or maybe it’s older and just a little funky. I reported it on eBird as ASY,
> because it is definitely far more progressed than the typical yearling birds
> loafing around the inlets.
>
> Cheers!
> -Tim H
>
>> On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter wrote:
>>
>> Tim,
>>
>> In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for birds
>> that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of recent
>> days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever reason, are not
>> complete. And adult traits may not develop in sync in younger birds. Looking
>> back at the weekend’s posts, I saw that Pat Lindsay made a point about her
>> “second summer type” having a black bill. Today’s had a red bill. So a two
>> year old? Probably. But definitely? Maybe, maybe not. It looks like it – so
>> “second summer type” works for the public record.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>>
>> From: Timothy Healy [mailto:tp...@cornell.edu]
>> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 6:49 PM
>> To: Steve Walter
>> Cc: NYSBIRDS
>> Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
>>
>> Steve and other sternid enthusiasts,
>>
>> Isn’t second summer the term used for the immature aspect birds with white
>> foreheads and black bills? A freshly fledged juvenile would be living
>> through its first summer, so second summer individuals are yearlings,
>> correct? If my understanding of the nomenclature is accurate, the bird I
>> found yesterday, which matches Steve’s description and the photos of
>> Tripper’s bird from Friday, would be in its third summer or older. At a
>> glance it looks like a classic alternate plumage adult ARTE, but the faint
>> darker smudging on the carpal bar and the tail streamers that don’t extend
>> beyond the folded wingtips indicate that it is not fully mature. I saw a
>> similarly marked individual at Nickerson last year, and in 2015 I got a
>> photo of an adult-like ARTE with a surprisingly dark bill. The variation in
>> age classes and species of terns is so fascinating. I’ve learned a lot from
>> these discussions about Arctics, Roseates, and the mysterious dark Commons.
>> Mornings and afternoons at the colonies and inlets are one of my favorite
>> parts of early summer here on Long Island.
>>
>> Cheers!
>> -Tim H
>>
>> On Jun 18, 2018, at 6:05 PM, Steve Walter wrote:
>>
>> Another day, another Arctic Tern at Nickerson Beach. Actually, my first for
>> the year, and this one had to be waited on. It might have been too foggy in
>> the morning for it to find land (joke). Interesting bird this one. My tern
>> guru advises me to call it a “second summer type”. Basically adult looking
>> wit
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Hi Tim,
I would be in the ASY camp on this bird as well. Fascinating bird and excellent
photo from Steve.
Yesterday at Nickerson a group of us had an entirely different bird and I
thought I had a second bird that looked like this one but could never connect
with it after my initial observation.
Good to see more folks documenting the Arctic Terns as we will find there are
more of them moving through now that we have more eyes sifting through the
flock.
Cheers,
"I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of
others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence." ~ Frederick
Douglass
風 Swift as the wind
林 Quiet as the forest
火 Conquer like the fire
山 Steady as the mountain
Sun Tzu The Art of War
> (\__/)
> (= '.'=)
> (") _ (")
> Sent from somewhere in the field using my mobile device!
Andrew Baksh
www.birdingdude.blogspot.com
> On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:28 PM, Timothy Healy wrote:
>
> This is where many banders and field biologists often use the abbreviations
> SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second year, a.k.a.
> second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are pretty
> definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and ARTE,
> birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile coloration for
> their second calendar year. The black-billed, white-foreheaded birds that are
> so abundant at the beach this season are coming up on a year old. This
> “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some smudges, flecks, and short streamers
> to separate it from a classic mature bird, is probably at least two years
> old. I certainly don’t think it was born during the last season, which is
> what I understand makes a second summer bird. It may be in its third summer,
> or maybe it’s older and just a little funky. I reported it on eBird as ASY,
> because it is definitely far more progressed than the typical yearling birds
> loafing around the inlets.
>
> Cheers!
> -Tim H
>
>> On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter wrote:
>>
>> Tim,
>>
>> In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for birds
>> that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of recent
>> days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever reason, are not
>> complete. And adult traits may not develop in sync in younger birds. Looking
>> back at the weekend’s posts, I saw that Pat Lindsay made a point about her
>> “second summer type” having a black bill. Today’s had a red bill. So a two
>> year old? Probably. But definitely? Maybe, maybe not. It looks like it – so
>> “second summer type” works for the public record.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>>
>> From: Timothy Healy [mailto:tp...@cornell.edu]
>> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 6:49 PM
>> To: Steve Walter
>> Cc: NYSBIRDS
>> Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
>>
>> Steve and other sternid enthusiasts,
>>
>> Isn’t second summer the term used for the immature aspect birds with white
>> foreheads and black bills? A freshly fledged juvenile would be living
>> through its first summer, so second summer individuals are yearlings,
>> correct? If my understanding of the nomenclature is accurate, the bird I
>> found yesterday, which matches Steve’s description and the photos of
>> Tripper’s bird from Friday, would be in its third summer or older. At a
>> glance it looks like a classic alternate plumage adult ARTE, but the faint
>> darker smudging on the carpal bar and the tail streamers that don’t extend
>> beyond the folded wingtips indicate that it is not fully mature. I saw a
>> similarly marked individual at Nickerson last year, and in 2015 I got a
>> photo of an adult-like ARTE with a surprisingly dark bill. The variation in
>> age classes and species of terns is so fascinating. I’ve learned a lot from
>> these discussions about Arctics, Roseates, and the mysterious dark Commons.
>> Mornings and afternoons at the colonies and inlets are one of my favorite
>> parts of early summer here on Long Island.
>>
>> Cheers!
>> -Tim H
>>
>> On Jun 18, 2018, at 6:05 PM, Steve Walter wrote:
>>
>> Another day, another Arctic Tern at Nickerson Beach. Actually, my first for
>> the year, and this one had to be waited on. It might have been too foggy in
>> the morning for it to find land (joke). Interesting bird this one. My tern
>> guru advises me to call it a “second summer type”. Basically adult looking
>> wit
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Thank you all, again, for this excellent discussion, and for generous sharing of your knowledge! On Mon, Jun 18, 2018 at 7:29 PM Timothy Healy wrote: > This is where many banders and field biologists often use the > abbreviations SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second > year, a.k.a. second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are > pretty definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and > ARTE, birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile > coloration for their second calendar year. The black-billed, > white-foreheaded birds that are so abundant at the beach this season are > coming up on a year old. This “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some > smudges, flecks, and short streamers to separate it from a classic mature > bird, is probably at least two years old. I certainly don’t think it was > born during the last season, which is what I understand makes a second > summer bird. It may be in its third summer, or maybe it’s older and just a > little funky. I reported it on eBird as ASY, because it is definitely far > more progressed than the typical yearling birds loafing around the inlets. > > Cheers! > -Tim H > > > On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter wrote: > > Tim, > > > > In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for > birds that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of > recent days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever reason, are > not complete. And adult traits may not develop in sync in younger birds. > Looking back at the weekend’s posts, I saw that Pat Lindsay made a point > about her “second summer type” having a black bill. Today’s had a red bill. > So a two year old? Probably. But definitely? Maybe, maybe not. It looks > like it – so “second summer type” works for the public record. > > > > Steve > > > > > > *From:* Timothy Healy [mailto:tp...@cornell.edu ] > *Sent:* Monday, June 18, 2018 6:49 PM > *To:* Steve Walter > *Cc:* NYSBIRDS > *Subject:* Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others > > > > Steve and other sternid enthusiasts, > > > > Isn’t second summer the term used for the immature aspect birds with white > foreheads and black bills? A freshly fledged juvenile would be living > through its first summer, so second summer individuals are yearlings, > correct? If my understanding of the nomenclature is accurate, the bird I > found yesterday, which matches Steve’s description and the photos of > Tripper’s bird from Friday, would be in its third summer or older. At a > glance it looks like a classic alternate plumage adult ARTE, but the faint > darker smudging on the carpal bar and the tail streamers that don’t extend > beyond the folded wingtips indicate that it is not fully mature. I saw a > similarly marked individual at Nickerson last year, and in 2015 I got a > photo of an adult-like ARTE with a surprisingly dark bill. The variation in > age classes and species of terns is so fascinating. I’ve learned a lot from > these discussions about Arctics, Roseates, and the mysterious dark Commons. > Mornings and afternoons at the colonies and inlets are one of my favorite > parts of early summer here on Long Island. > > > > Cheers! > > -Tim H > > > On Jun 18, 2018, at 6:05 PM, Steve Walter wrote: > > Another day, another *Arctic Tern* at Nickerson Beach. Actually, my first > for the year, and this one had to be waited on. It might have been too > foggy in the morning for it to find land (joke). Interesting bird this one. > My tern guru advises me to call it a “second summer type”. Basically adult > looking with a red bill, but with a carpal bar and speckling on the > forehead (not well visible in the picture I posted). In a similar vein, > there was a Roseate Tern of less than full adult appearance. This bird, and > also a full adult, had readable blue legs bands. Maybe others have seen > this, but this is the first time I’ve seen terns with something more > readable in the field than the metal bands. I’ll reports these (bands B97 > and Y11) and find out more in due time. But perhaps someone on this list > might know something (Joe D?). Also, *a Gull-billed Tern* flying over > the east tern colony around mid-day. Pictures of the Arctic and Roseates > have been added to the bottom of the Recent Work page at my web site > http://stevewalternature.com/ . > > > > Steve Walter > > Bayside, NY > > -- > > *NYSbirds-L List Info:* > > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> > > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> > > Subscribe, Conf
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Thank you all, again, for this excellent discussion, and for generous sharing of your knowledge! On Mon, Jun 18, 2018 at 7:29 PM Timothy Healy wrote: > This is where many banders and field biologists often use the > abbreviations SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second > year, a.k.a. second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are > pretty definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and > ARTE, birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile > coloration for their second calendar year. The black-billed, > white-foreheaded birds that are so abundant at the beach this season are > coming up on a year old. This “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some > smudges, flecks, and short streamers to separate it from a classic mature > bird, is probably at least two years old. I certainly don’t think it was > born during the last season, which is what I understand makes a second > summer bird. It may be in its third summer, or maybe it’s older and just a > little funky. I reported it on eBird as ASY, because it is definitely far > more progressed than the typical yearling birds loafing around the inlets. > > Cheers! > -Tim H > > > On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter wrote: > > Tim, > > > > In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for > birds that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of > recent days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever reason, are > not complete. And adult traits may not develop in sync in younger birds. > Looking back at the weekend’s posts, I saw that Pat Lindsay made a point > about her “second summer type” having a black bill. Today’s had a red bill. > So a two year old? Probably. But definitely? Maybe, maybe not. It looks > like it – so “second summer type” works for the public record. > > > > Steve > > > > > > *From:* Timothy Healy [mailto:tp...@cornell.edu ] > *Sent:* Monday, June 18, 2018 6:49 PM > *To:* Steve Walter > *Cc:* NYSBIRDS > *Subject:* Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others > > > > Steve and other sternid enthusiasts, > > > > Isn’t second summer the term used for the immature aspect birds with white > foreheads and black bills? A freshly fledged juvenile would be living > through its first summer, so second summer individuals are yearlings, > correct? If my understanding of the nomenclature is accurate, the bird I > found yesterday, which matches Steve’s description and the photos of > Tripper’s bird from Friday, would be in its third summer or older. At a > glance it looks like a classic alternate plumage adult ARTE, but the faint > darker smudging on the carpal bar and the tail streamers that don’t extend > beyond the folded wingtips indicate that it is not fully mature. I saw a > similarly marked individual at Nickerson last year, and in 2015 I got a > photo of an adult-like ARTE with a surprisingly dark bill. The variation in > age classes and species of terns is so fascinating. I’ve learned a lot from > these discussions about Arctics, Roseates, and the mysterious dark Commons. > Mornings and afternoons at the colonies and inlets are one of my favorite > parts of early summer here on Long Island. > > > > Cheers! > > -Tim H > > > On Jun 18, 2018, at 6:05 PM, Steve Walter wrote: > > Another day, another *Arctic Tern* at Nickerson Beach. Actually, my first > for the year, and this one had to be waited on. It might have been too > foggy in the morning for it to find land (joke). Interesting bird this one. > My tern guru advises me to call it a “second summer type”. Basically adult > looking with a red bill, but with a carpal bar and speckling on the > forehead (not well visible in the picture I posted). In a similar vein, > there was a Roseate Tern of less than full adult appearance. This bird, and > also a full adult, had readable blue legs bands. Maybe others have seen > this, but this is the first time I’ve seen terns with something more > readable in the field than the metal bands. I’ll reports these (bands B97 > and Y11) and find out more in due time. But perhaps someone on this list > might know something (Joe D?). Also, *a Gull-billed Tern* flying over > the east tern colony around mid-day. Pictures of the Arctic and Roseates > have been added to the bottom of the Recent Work page at my web site > http://stevewalternature.com/ . > > > > Steve Walter > > Bayside, NY > > -- > > *NYSbirds-L List Info:* > > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> > > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> > > Subscribe, Conf
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
This is where many banders and field biologists often use the abbreviations SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second year, a.k.a. second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are pretty definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and ARTE, birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile coloration for their second calendar year. The black-billed, white-foreheaded birds that are so abundant at the beach this season are coming up on a year old. This “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some smudges, flecks, and short streamers to separate it from a classic mature bird, is probably at least two years old. I certainly don’t think it was born during the last season, which is what I understand makes a second summer bird. It may be in its third summer, or maybe it’s older and just a little funky. I reported it on eBird as ASY, because it is definitely far more progressed than the typical yearling birds loafing around the inlets. Cheers! -Tim H > On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter wrote: > > Tim, > > In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for birds > that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of recent > days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever reason, are not > complete. And adult traits may not develop in sync in younger birds. Looking > back at the weekend’s posts, I saw that Pat Lindsay made a point about her > “second summer type” having a black bill. Today’s had a red bill. So a two > year old? Probably. But definitely? Maybe, maybe not. It looks like it – so > “second summer type” works for the public record. > > Steve > > > From: Timothy Healy [mailto:tp...@cornell.edu] > Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 6:49 PM > To: Steve Walter > Cc: NYSBIRDS > Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others > > Steve and other sternid enthusiasts, > > Isn’t second summer the term used for the immature aspect birds with white > foreheads and black bills? A freshly fledged juvenile would be living through > its first summer, so second summer individuals are yearlings, correct? If my > understanding of the nomenclature is accurate, the bird I found yesterday, > which matches Steve’s description and the photos of Tripper’s bird from > Friday, would be in its third summer or older. At a glance it looks like a > classic alternate plumage adult ARTE, but the faint darker smudging on the > carpal bar and the tail streamers that don’t extend beyond the folded > wingtips indicate that it is not fully mature. I saw a similarly marked > individual at Nickerson last year, and in 2015 I got a photo of an adult-like > ARTE with a surprisingly dark bill. The variation in age classes and species > of terns is so fascinating. I’ve learned a lot from these discussions about > Arctics, Roseates, and the mysterious dark Commons. Mornings and afternoons > at the colonies and inlets are one of my favorite parts of early summer here > on Long Island. > > Cheers! > -Tim H > > On Jun 18, 2018, at 6:05 PM, Steve Walter wrote: > > Another day, another Arctic Tern at Nickerson Beach. Actually, my first for > the year, and this one had to be waited on. It might have been too foggy in > the morning for it to find land (joke). Interesting bird this one. My tern > guru advises me to call it a “second summer type”. Basically adult looking > with a red bill, but with a carpal bar and speckling on the forehead (not > well visible in the picture I posted). In a similar vein, there was a Roseate > Tern of less than full adult appearance. This bird, and also a full adult, > had readable blue legs bands. Maybe others have seen this, but this is the > first time I’ve seen terns with something more readable in the field than the > metal bands. I’ll reports these (bands B97 and Y11) and find out more in due > time. But perhaps someone on this list might know something (Joe D?). Also, > a Gull-billed Tern flying over the east tern colony around mid-day. Pictures > of the Arctic and Roseates have been added to the bottom of the Recent Work > page at my web site http://stevewalternature.com/ . > > Steve Walter > Bayside, NY > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > ABA > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
This is where many banders and field biologists often use the abbreviations SY and ASY, for second year and after second year. The second year, a.k.a. second summer a.k.a. year old, plumages for many species are pretty definitive, and quite distinct from adults. In the case of COTE and ARTE, birds stay in a plumage that resembles their initial juvenile coloration for their second calendar year. The black-billed, white-foreheaded birds that are so abundant at the beach this season are coming up on a year old. This “imperfect” adult Arctic, with only some smudges, flecks, and short streamers to separate it from a classic mature bird, is probably at least two years old. I certainly don’t think it was born during the last season, which is what I understand makes a second summer bird. It may be in its third summer, or maybe it’s older and just a little funky. I reported it on eBird as ASY, because it is definitely far more progressed than the typical yearling birds loafing around the inlets. Cheers! -Tim H > On Jun 18, 2018, at 7:15 PM, Steve Walter wrote: > > Tim, > > In normal conversation, I typically use the phrase “two year old” for birds > that I suspect were born two summers ago. But as the conversation of recent > days has alluded, there can be adults that for whatever reason, are not > complete. And adult traits may not develop in sync in younger birds. Looking > back at the weekend’s posts, I saw that Pat Lindsay made a point about her > “second summer type” having a black bill. Today’s had a red bill. So a two > year old? Probably. But definitely? Maybe, maybe not. It looks like it – so > “second summer type” works for the public record. > > Steve > > > From: Timothy Healy [mailto:tp...@cornell.edu] > Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 6:49 PM > To: Steve Walter > Cc: NYSBIRDS > Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others > > Steve and other sternid enthusiasts, > > Isn’t second summer the term used for the immature aspect birds with white > foreheads and black bills? A freshly fledged juvenile would be living through > its first summer, so second summer individuals are yearlings, correct? If my > understanding of the nomenclature is accurate, the bird I found yesterday, > which matches Steve’s description and the photos of Tripper’s bird from > Friday, would be in its third summer or older. At a glance it looks like a > classic alternate plumage adult ARTE, but the faint darker smudging on the > carpal bar and the tail streamers that don’t extend beyond the folded > wingtips indicate that it is not fully mature. I saw a similarly marked > individual at Nickerson last year, and in 2015 I got a photo of an adult-like > ARTE with a surprisingly dark bill. The variation in age classes and species > of terns is so fascinating. I’ve learned a lot from these discussions about > Arctics, Roseates, and the mysterious dark Commons. Mornings and afternoons > at the colonies and inlets are one of my favorite parts of early summer here > on Long Island. > > Cheers! > -Tim H > > On Jun 18, 2018, at 6:05 PM, Steve Walter wrote: > > Another day, another Arctic Tern at Nickerson Beach. Actually, my first for > the year, and this one had to be waited on. It might have been too foggy in > the morning for it to find land (joke). Interesting bird this one. My tern > guru advises me to call it a “second summer type”. Basically adult looking > with a red bill, but with a carpal bar and speckling on the forehead (not > well visible in the picture I posted). In a similar vein, there was a Roseate > Tern of less than full adult appearance. This bird, and also a full adult, > had readable blue legs bands. Maybe others have seen this, but this is the > first time I’ve seen terns with something more readable in the field than the > metal bands. I’ll reports these (bands B97 and Y11) and find out more in due > time. But perhaps someone on this list might know something (Joe D?). Also, > a Gull-billed Tern flying over the east tern colony around mid-day. Pictures > of the Arctic and Roseates have been added to the bottom of the Recent Work > page at my web site http://stevewalternature.com/ . > > Steve Walter > Bayside, NY > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > ABA > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
RE: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Hi Tim and all, There are a number of parallel systems for denoting age. The worst for birders is the plumage cycle system, because at this time of year a flock of 30 manky looking Lesser Black-backed Gulls of exactly the same age 350-370 days since hatching might include both first and second cycle individuals, and it's obviously absurd to lump the former with fresh juvs and the latter with two year-olds in summaries of age break-downs. My preferred system for terns is the standard one used by Grant, Malling Olsen, and others: Juvenile the newly hatched COTE juvs are the cutest of all birds First-summer one-year-old birds with black bills, white foreheads, white underparts, short tails, etc. Second-summer types a category including some (but not all) actual two year-olds and a fraction of older adults failing to attain full breeding condition. The appearance of birds in this category is highly variable because it includes some very delayed two year-olds as well as some birds that barely differ from normal adults. Adult Calendar year notation works well too in the temperate zone: HY SY TY type Adult Best, Shai From: bounce-122646468-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-122646468-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Timothy Healy [tp...@cornell.edu] Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 6:48 PM To: Steve Walter Cc: NYSBIRDS Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others Steve and other sternid enthusiasts, Isn’t second summer the term used for the immature aspect birds with white foreheads and black bills? A freshly fledged juvenile would be living through its first summer, so second summer individuals are yearlings, correct? If my understanding of the nomenclature is accurate, the bird I found yesterday, which matches Steve’s description and the photos of Tripper’s bird from Friday, would be in its third summer or older. At a glance it looks like a classic alternate plumage adult ARTE, but the faint darker smudging on the carpal bar and the tail streamers that don’t extend beyond the folded wingtips indicate that it is not fully mature. I saw a similarly marked individual at Nickerson last year, and in 2015 I got a photo of an adult-like ARTE with a surprisingly dark bill. The variation in age classes and species of terns is so fascinating. I’ve learned a lot from these discussions about Arctics, Roseates, and the mysterious dark Commons. Mornings and afternoons at the colonies and inlets are one of my favorite parts of early summer here on Long Island. Cheers! -Tim H On Jun 18, 2018, at 6:05 PM, Steve Walter mailto:swalte...@verizon.net>> wrote: Another day, another Arctic Tern at Nickerson Beach. Actually, my first for the year, and this one had to be waited on. It might have been too foggy in the morning for it to find land (joke). Interesting bird this one. My tern guru advises me to call it a “second summer type”. Basically adult looking with a red bill, but with a carpal bar and speckling on the forehead (not well visible in the picture I posted). In a similar vein, there was a Roseate Tern of less than full adult appearance. This bird, and also a full adult, had readable blue legs bands. Maybe others have seen this, but this is the first time I’ve seen terns with something more readable in the field than the metal bands. I’ll reports these (bands B97 and Y11) and find out more in due time. But perhaps someone on this list might know something (Joe D?). Also, a Gull-billed Tern flying over the east tern colony around mid-day. Pictures of the Arctic and Roseates have been added to the bottom of the Recent Work page at my web site http://stevewalternature.com/ . Steve Walter Bayside, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> 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> ABA<http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> 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> ABA<http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- NYSbirds-L List
RE: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Hi Tim and all, There are a number of parallel systems for denoting age. The worst for birders is the plumage cycle system, because at this time of year a flock of 30 manky looking Lesser Black-backed Gulls of exactly the same age 350-370 days since hatching might include both first and second cycle individuals, and it's obviously absurd to lump the former with fresh juvs and the latter with two year-olds in summaries of age break-downs. My preferred system for terns is the standard one used by Grant, Malling Olsen, and others: Juvenile the newly hatched COTE juvs are the cutest of all birds First-summer one-year-old birds with black bills, white foreheads, white underparts, short tails, etc. Second-summer types a category including some (but not all) actual two year-olds and a fraction of older adults failing to attain full breeding condition. The appearance of birds in this category is highly variable because it includes some very delayed two year-olds as well as some birds that barely differ from normal adults. Adult Calendar year notation works well too in the temperate zone: HY SY TY type Adult Best, Shai From: bounce-122646468-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-122646468-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Timothy Healy [tp...@cornell.edu] Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 6:48 PM To: Steve Walter Cc: NYSBIRDS Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others Steve and other sternid enthusiasts, Isn’t second summer the term used for the immature aspect birds with white foreheads and black bills? A freshly fledged juvenile would be living through its first summer, so second summer individuals are yearlings, correct? If my understanding of the nomenclature is accurate, the bird I found yesterday, which matches Steve’s description and the photos of Tripper’s bird from Friday, would be in its third summer or older. At a glance it looks like a classic alternate plumage adult ARTE, but the faint darker smudging on the carpal bar and the tail streamers that don’t extend beyond the folded wingtips indicate that it is not fully mature. I saw a similarly marked individual at Nickerson last year, and in 2015 I got a photo of an adult-like ARTE with a surprisingly dark bill. The variation in age classes and species of terns is so fascinating. I’ve learned a lot from these discussions about Arctics, Roseates, and the mysterious dark Commons. Mornings and afternoons at the colonies and inlets are one of my favorite parts of early summer here on Long Island. Cheers! -Tim H On Jun 18, 2018, at 6:05 PM, Steve Walter mailto:swalte...@verizon.net>> wrote: Another day, another Arctic Tern at Nickerson Beach. Actually, my first for the year, and this one had to be waited on. It might have been too foggy in the morning for it to find land (joke). Interesting bird this one. My tern guru advises me to call it a “second summer type”. Basically adult looking with a red bill, but with a carpal bar and speckling on the forehead (not well visible in the picture I posted). In a similar vein, there was a Roseate Tern of less than full adult appearance. This bird, and also a full adult, had readable blue legs bands. Maybe others have seen this, but this is the first time I’ve seen terns with something more readable in the field than the metal bands. I’ll reports these (bands B97 and Y11) and find out more in due time. But perhaps someone on this list might know something (Joe D?). Also, a Gull-billed Tern flying over the east tern colony around mid-day. Pictures of the Arctic and Roseates have been added to the bottom of the Recent Work page at my web site http://stevewalternature.com/ . Steve Walter Bayside, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> 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> ABA<http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> 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> ABA<http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- NYSbirds-L List
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Steve and other sternid enthusiasts, Isn’t second summer the term used for the immature aspect birds with white foreheads and black bills? A freshly fledged juvenile would be living through its first summer, so second summer individuals are yearlings, correct? If my understanding of the nomenclature is accurate, the bird I found yesterday, which matches Steve’s description and the photos of Tripper’s bird from Friday, would be in its third summer or older. At a glance it looks like a classic alternate plumage adult ARTE, but the faint darker smudging on the carpal bar and the tail streamers that don’t extend beyond the folded wingtips indicate that it is not fully mature. I saw a similarly marked individual at Nickerson last year, and in 2015 I got a photo of an adult-like ARTE with a surprisingly dark bill. The variation in age classes and species of terns is so fascinating. I’ve learned a lot from these discussions about Arctics, Roseates, and the mysterious dark Commons. Mornings and afternoons at the colonies and inlets are one of my favorite parts of early summer here on Long Island. Cheers! -Tim H > On Jun 18, 2018, at 6:05 PM, Steve Walter wrote: > > Another day, another Arctic Tern at Nickerson Beach. Actually, my first for > the year, and this one had to be waited on. It might have been too foggy in > the morning for it to find land (joke). Interesting bird this one. My tern > guru advises me to call it a “second summer type”. Basically adult looking > with a red bill, but with a carpal bar and speckling on the forehead (not > well visible in the picture I posted). In a similar vein, there was a Roseate > Tern of less than full adult appearance. This bird, and also a full adult, > had readable blue legs bands. Maybe others have seen this, but this is the > first time I’ve seen terns with something more readable in the field than the > metal bands. I’ll reports these (bands B97 and Y11) and find out more in due > time. But perhaps someone on this list might know something (Joe D?). Also, > a Gull-billed Tern flying over the east tern colony around mid-day. Pictures > of the Arctic and Roseates have been added to the bottom of the Recent Work > page at my web site http://stevewalternature.com/ . > > Steve Walter > Bayside, NY > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > ABA > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach Arctic Tern and others
Steve and other sternid enthusiasts, Isn’t second summer the term used for the immature aspect birds with white foreheads and black bills? A freshly fledged juvenile would be living through its first summer, so second summer individuals are yearlings, correct? If my understanding of the nomenclature is accurate, the bird I found yesterday, which matches Steve’s description and the photos of Tripper’s bird from Friday, would be in its third summer or older. At a glance it looks like a classic alternate plumage adult ARTE, but the faint darker smudging on the carpal bar and the tail streamers that don’t extend beyond the folded wingtips indicate that it is not fully mature. I saw a similarly marked individual at Nickerson last year, and in 2015 I got a photo of an adult-like ARTE with a surprisingly dark bill. The variation in age classes and species of terns is so fascinating. I’ve learned a lot from these discussions about Arctics, Roseates, and the mysterious dark Commons. Mornings and afternoons at the colonies and inlets are one of my favorite parts of early summer here on Long Island. Cheers! -Tim H > On Jun 18, 2018, at 6:05 PM, Steve Walter wrote: > > Another day, another Arctic Tern at Nickerson Beach. Actually, my first for > the year, and this one had to be waited on. It might have been too foggy in > the morning for it to find land (joke). Interesting bird this one. My tern > guru advises me to call it a “second summer type”. Basically adult looking > with a red bill, but with a carpal bar and speckling on the forehead (not > well visible in the picture I posted). In a similar vein, there was a Roseate > Tern of less than full adult appearance. This bird, and also a full adult, > had readable blue legs bands. Maybe others have seen this, but this is the > first time I’ve seen terns with something more readable in the field than the > metal bands. I’ll reports these (bands B97 and Y11) and find out more in due > time. But perhaps someone on this list might know something (Joe D?). Also, > a Gull-billed Tern flying over the east tern colony around mid-day. Pictures > of the Arctic and Roseates have been added to the bottom of the Recent Work > page at my web site http://stevewalternature.com/ . > > Steve Walter > Bayside, NY > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > ABA > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach ARCTIC TERN, no
I got a picture of the bird (posted today in New York Birders-Facebook) and the identification of the Roseate was confirmed. I did not find for the Arctic tern either but terns don’t stay on the dunes or the shore. The Black tern went out to sea around 4:30pm (I guess to fish) and returned around 6:30PM. There were a significant number of birders (and bird photographers) at that time looking for the uncommon terns. Felipe Pimentel On Jun 11, 2015, at 8:32 AM, Robert Lewis wrote: > Yesterday afternoon from about 3:20 to 6:00 I birded Nickerson Beach, Nassau > County. No Arctic Tern. > > Another birder was there for most of that time (whose name escapes me, sorry) > and he too reported no luck, though he did say he saw a Roseate. There was a > Black Tern. > > The flock of Common Terns was most numerous at 3:20 and slowly decreased. > Not sure if this is a tidal effect or what. > > Bob Lewis > Sleepy Hollow NY > > From: syschiff > To: NYSBIRDS_L > Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2015 5:13 PM > Subject: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach ARCTIC TERN > > Hi all, > > As an addition to my earlier post I am attaching the following. Suspect > ARCTIC TERN confirmed by expert. > > Sy. > --- > > > -- > > > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- 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/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach ARCTIC TERN, no
Yesterday afternoon from about 3:20 to 6:00 I birded Nickerson Beach, Nassau County. No Arctic Tern. Another birder was there for most of that time (whose name escapes me, sorry) and he too reported no luck, though he did say he saw a Roseate. There was a Black Tern. The flock of Common Terns was most numerous at 3:20 and slowly decreased. Not sure if this is a tidal effect or what. Bob Lewis Sleepy Hollow NY From: syschiff To: NYSBIRDS_L Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2015 5:13 PM Subject: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach ARCTIC TERN Hi all, As an addition to my earlier post I am attaching the following. Suspect ARCTIC TERN confirmed by expert. Sy.--- -- -- 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/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach ARCTIC TERN, no
Yesterday afternoon from about 3:20 to 6:00 I birded Nickerson Beach, Nassau County. No Arctic Tern. Another birder was there for most of that time (whose name escapes me, sorry) and he too reported no luck, though he did say he saw a Roseate. There was a Black Tern. The flock of Common Terns was most numerous at 3:20 and slowly decreased. Not sure if this is a tidal effect or what. Bob Lewis Sleepy Hollow NY From: syschiff icte...@optonline.net To: NYSBIRDS_L nysbirds-l@cornell.edu Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2015 5:13 PM Subject: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach ARCTIC TERN Hi all, As an addition to my earlier post I am attaching the following. Suspect ARCTIC TERN confirmed by expert. Sy.--- -- -- 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/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach ARCTIC TERN, no
I got a picture of the bird (posted today in New York Birders-Facebook) and the identification of the Roseate was confirmed. I did not find for the Arctic tern either but terns don’t stay on the dunes or the shore. The Black tern went out to sea around 4:30pm (I guess to fish) and returned around 6:30PM. There were a significant number of birders (and bird photographers) at that time looking for the uncommon terns. Felipe Pimentel On Jun 11, 2015, at 8:32 AM, Robert Lewis rfer...@yahoo.com wrote: Yesterday afternoon from about 3:20 to 6:00 I birded Nickerson Beach, Nassau County. No Arctic Tern. Another birder was there for most of that time (whose name escapes me, sorry) and he too reported no luck, though he did say he saw a Roseate. There was a Black Tern. The flock of Common Terns was most numerous at 3:20 and slowly decreased. Not sure if this is a tidal effect or what. Bob Lewis Sleepy Hollow NY From: syschiff icte...@optonline.net To: NYSBIRDS_L nysbirds-l@cornell.edu Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2015 5:13 PM Subject: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach ARCTIC TERN Hi all, As an addition to my earlier post I am attaching the following. Suspect ARCTIC TERN confirmed by expert. Sy. --- -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- 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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach ARCTIC TERN
Hi all, As an addition to my earlier post I am attaching the following. Suspect ARCTIC TERN confirmed by expert. Sy. --- Hey Bob and Sy, Yes, that's a first-summer Arctic Tern! Nice. Best, Shai From: Bob Anderson [park...@optonline.net] Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2015 3:45 PM To: Shaibal Mitra Subject: Possible Arctic Tern at Nickerson 5/9/15 Shai, Sy Schiff asked me to forward to you these pictures for your thoughts. Bob Anderson -- 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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach ARCTIC TERN
Hi all, As an addition to my earlier post I am attaching the following. Suspect ARCTIC TERN confirmed by expert. Sy. --- Hey Bob and Sy, Yes, that's a first-summer Arctic Tern! Nice. Best, Shai From: Bob Anderson [park...@optonline.net] Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2015 3:45 PM To: Shaibal Mitra Subject: Possible Arctic Tern at Nickerson 5/9/15 Shai, Sy Schiff asked me to forward to you these pictures for your thoughts. Bob Anderson -- 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/ --
