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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Mystery seabird, Finland 2016 (1 Viewer)

S

Sangahyando

Well-known member
Germany
This was taken by someone else in May 2016 in the Åland archipelago. Apologies for the quality, though in this case it's not my fault as I wasn't present. The picture is heavily cropped; apparently, the bird was swimming in a lagoon close to a beach.

Any ideas? As always, any help would be welcome.
 

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Simon Wates said:
Does look like a tern but must be in trouble if it is - they don't swim. Could it be a preening Little Gull?
Click to expand...

Common and Arctic Terns can both swim. In the U.K. it’s not unusual to see migrant groups of Terns land on the water (inland especially) and rest there for sometime, especially Arctic Terns.

As to this bird. Arctic or Long-tailed Skua maybe.
 
I'm in the Tern camp, though not sure about the exact species. With a little imagination I mean to see a fairly long black bill, so Sandwich? Still the dark back looks strange but might be a trick of the light? BTW, to me what looks like a long tail is actually one of the wings.
 
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andyadcock said:
With a black cap and white cheeks?A
Click to expand...

I'd thought maybe the bird may have had its head turned backwards, preening...and could'nt be a tern..

GWB77 said:
Common and Arctic Terns can both swim. In the U.K. it’s not unusual to see migrant groups of Terns land on the water (inland especially) and rest there for sometime, especially Arctic Terns.
Click to expand...

Thanks - major lapse for me, I'd read or been told many years ago and believed it! And..I've never seen one swim ;)

Pedro Ramalho said:
Actually they do.
Click to expand...

Thanks ;)
 
Thanks for the suggestions so far. I didn't know terns could swim.
Still skeptical about the tern suggestion though, since it seems unusual for a bird in the breeding grounds (never seen them do that, IIRC), and none of the Arctic Terns from the same series of photographs (unfortunately, the above the only picture of this particular bird) were swimming.
I was thinking of one of the smaller skuas as well, but don't have experience with them and couldn't decide on the basis of the picture. I'll ask the original photographer if he can remember any details.
 
A tern for me - skuas have dark underwings, so wouldn't show those white carpal joints.

As to which tern, either Common or Arctic.

Edit: terns frequently swim on/near the breeding grounds here in Northumbs., mainly for washing.
 
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