Terns at Arnolds, Cley
Hi all,
Had nice views of the 3 Roseates Sunday in flight, calling & perched, also present 2-3 ad Arctic Terns,
5+ Spot Shank, 1 Greenshank, 2 Med Gulls (1ad & 1 1st sum).
My main reason for posting is the interest created by 2 or possibly 3 1st summer "sterna" terns - confidently identified by me & a couple of others as Common Terns, blackish bills, white forehead, and a small but obvious carpal patch formed by retained juv marginal feathers - mostly the birds were watched and discussed peched on the mud, and I was fairly confident that the obvious carpal patch put them beyond Arctic. However, 1 observer was adamant that he had a bird with short legs, ( he said "clearly shorter than surrounding ad commons") and that it was an Arctic Tern. I was unconvinced as judging leg length on a tapering piece of marsh at any range is subjective.
I have since noted with interest that RBA pager is regualrly posting 1 or 2 1st summer Arctic terns, it would appear that the safest way to be confident in this id, is to see the birds in flight, as 1st yr Common shows a contrasting primary wedge to the outer primaries on the upperwing, and a darker shadow line to the trailing edge of secondaries. We failed to see them well enough in flight to ascertain these features.
Have you seen these birds? I would be interested in comments from people who have seen these birds in flight and specifically what they have seen and identified them on - mainly as a useful education for future reference.
Regards Chris