Roseate Tern? (Dutch coast, 13th of May 2023) (1 Viewer)

[Frank-birding]

Am I right thinking Roseate Tern here? Pictures taken 4 days ago on an evening beach near Noordwijk, Netherlands.
I took many images, and its bill was unmistakably black. Whereas the bills of the large number of surrounding Common Terns where all clearly red (with black tips).
(Possibly 2 different birds: image 1 and 3 of first bird, image 2 and 4 of possible second).

Regards, Frank

 

[Butty]

Doubt it: roseate tern is really white-looking. Presumably a sub-adult or seasonally-retarded common/arctic tern.

 

[THE_FERN]

Doubt it: roseate tern is really white-looking. Presumably a sub-adult or seasonally-retarded common/arctic tern.

I hesitated with these. On balance I think Butty's correct.

The picture quality muddies the waters: I wasn't sure whether we were seeing dusky plumage or shadows. I thought probably dusky plumage. Likewise tail streamers. Bill shape is perhaps better for common tern...

 

[Frank-birding]

I hesitated with these. On balance I think Butty's correct.

The picture quality muddies the waters: I wasn't sure whether we were seeing dusky plumage or shadows. I thought probably dusky plumage. Likewise tail streamers. Bill shape is perhaps better for common tern...

Thank you Butty and The_Fern for helping me!

Agreed, when not all characteristics match clearly, it's always logical to assume the more common option (in this case almost literally. i.e. Common Tern ). And plumage seems indeed as dusky as surrounding Common Terns, also when taking shadows into account.

I found 2 more images. Unfortunately also very backlit (against the sun setting over the sea), so not really clearing up the waters for a straightforward ID... Perhaps tailstreamers and folded inner primaries are slightly brighter. It's a pity that tail and wingtips are mostly obscured.

Frank