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Re: black terns at Bear Is, SC



Leah,

Here's a vote for your "Black tern" ID.
I've seen many Black terns there at this time of year. They
feed by skimming, not diving, as Least and Forster's do typically.
Steve Compton
Summerville,SC
----- Original Message -----
From: "Leah Campbell" <faeriemaiden@hotmail.com>
To: <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Sent: Friday, July 26, 2002 12:30 PM
Subject: black terns at Bear Is, SC


> I didn't mention this in my last post because the jury (Bruce and I) was
> still out on what kind of terns we were seeing. While admiring the
> black-necked stilts, willets, and snowy egrets, we saw a large number
(~20)
> terns skimming the water for prey (shrimp?). They had varying plumages,
but
> most had some black below (concentrated on the belly, but on some,
extending
> to the head). We finally decided these were black terns molting out of
> bleeding plumage.
>
> After my last post (Wed night) I went back to Bear Is. to do a little
> photography before heading home. Where we saw about 10 wood storks the day
> before, I saw 30+ circling overhead and floating down into the marsh. It
> reminded me of gulls, but on a much grander scale with a prehistoric feel.
I
> was only 10 feet from the closest ones. Awesome!
>
> Leah
>
> Leah Campbell
> Blackstock, SC
> leahcam@lycos.com
> faeriemaiden@hotmail.com
>
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