Yorkshire Birding (2 Viewers)

[Andrew Tongue]

Pat Haven & Paull Holme Strays Sunday

Patrington Haven 1030 - 1230:

3 Whimbrel on Humber
19 Black-tailed Godwit
3 Little Egret
Dunlin: 1
Whitethroat: Two families of recently-fledged birds

Paull Holme Strays: 1300 - 1330:
2 Little Egret
2 Avocet
2 Ringed Plover

 

[knocker7800]

The butterfly pics are superb ,for me at least ,keep 'em coming ,and as Knocker seemed surprised when I told him,just wondered whether a 'Hummingbird Moth' in my garden is noteworthy or relatively commonly seen?(complete ignoramus re these things!).

from birdguides:

14:35 05/07/09 Insect News: South Yorkshire; a Hummingbird Hawkmoth in a garden in Haugh Road, Rawmarsh at 14:10

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

I received the following message last night;

'Need some pics taken of an odd tern. Can u help. It is being claimed as Royal Tern or Hybrid. Want pics to settle ID'

The message is from the warden of the reserve who has a decent record in finding stuff e.g. Marsh Sand, Red Necked Phal, Spotted Crake, but I do not know the back story on this at all.

The reserve is not open to the public so I am posting here to see if anyone wants to come with me tonight on the off chance it is a) still there and b) isn't a Muscovy Duck, Amur Falcon or Dunnock or something else ridiculous.

You would need to be near my house at about 6:30PM.

 

[garry1366]

I received the following message last night;

'Need some pics taken of an odd tern. Can u help. It is being claimed as Royal Tern or Hybrid. Want pics to settle ID'

The message is from the warden of the reserve who has a decent record in finding stuff e.g. Marsh Sand, Red Necked Phal, Spotted Crake, but I do not know the back story on this at all.

The reserve is not open to the public so I am posting here to see if anyone wants to come with me tonight on the off chance it is a) still there and b) isn't a Muscovy Duck, Amur Falcon or Dunnock or something else ridiculous.

You would need to be near my house at about 6:30PM.

Marcus,
I think you're playing a very dangerous game! Firstly if you see this bird and it turns out to be a Royal Tern you put yourself in very difficult position about releasing the news or not, but that's a moral dilemma for you to wrangle with. However inviting others to see it with you is another matter, suppose 50 people ask to come with you, who are you gonna choose to take? you choose 2 or 3 and then for some reason the news has to be kept quiet!!!

It's a difficult position to be in but one that you need to consider very carefullly. Maybe you've not been around long enough to remember some of the more high profile "incidents" of suppression in Yorks before but bear in mind people have long memories.

Also if you think there is any chance this is a Royal Tern you shouldn't be waiting til tonight to go see it, if you can't go straight away you should let someone else go now!!! That said it almost certainly not a Royal Tern.

G

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Marcus,
I think you're playing a very dangerous game! Firstly if you see this bird and it turns out to be a Royal Tern you put yourself in very difficult position about releasing the news or not, but that's a moral dilemma for you to wrangle with. However inviting others to see it with you is another matter, suppose 50 people ask to come with you, who are you gonna choose to take? you choose 2 or 3 and then for some reason the news has to be kept quiet!!!
h
It's a difficult position to be in but one that you need to consider very carefullly. Maybe you've not been around long enough to remember some of the more high profile "incidents" of suppression in Yorks before but bear in mind people have long memories.

Also if you think there is any chance this is a Royal Tern you shouldn't be waiting til tonight to go see it, if you can't go straight away you should let someone else go now!!! That said it almost certainly not a Royal Tern.

G

Hadn't thought about all that :eek!:
I asked about going for first light but it was not possible. I have tried to contact the relevant people but can't get through since the message. As you say I am sure it is not a RT anyway.

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

I just spoke to someone who saw it. It sounds like an aberrant common tern to me with a yellow/orange bill. Certainly not large enough for RT and associating with common terns.
Will update with any more I find out, but it sounds already like nothing.

 

[Chris-Leeds]

Some of the common terns I saw Saturday at times looked like they had a yellowish colour to the bills but that was caused by sunlight and the sun's angle.
Surely the size of the bill should be a clear indication as it's pretty hard to confuse them?
If it's not breeding then why the cloak and dagger mafia type warnings? There have been sightings reported of royal tern this year and I'm sure those people haven't woke up with their favourite pet's head in their bed.

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Link to bird here

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=145928

 

[Chris-Leeds]

That does have a big bill.

 

[vwxyzen]

Another shot of same bird here-

http://www.birdguides.com/iris/pictures.asp?mode=file&f=211639&rty=0&r=1&v=0&off=211639

Certainly not common tern with a bill that big!

Dave.

I just spoke to someone who saw it. It sounds like an aberrant common tern to me with a yellow/orange bill. Certainly not large enough for RT and associating with common terns.
Will update with any more I find out, but it sounds already like nothing.

 

[Ingsbirder]

Another shot of same bird here-

http://www.birdguides.com/iris/pictures.asp?mode=file&f=211639&rty=0&r=1&v=0&off=211639

Certainly not common tern with a bill that big!

Dave.

Just looks like a Common lacking a dark bill tip to me, last time I looked neither Caspian nor Royal Terns had tail streamers. Look at the middle picture on birdguides with the two ducklings to the rear, a Caspian Tern would look a little bit bigger don't you think:eek!:

Look at the bird as a whole, not something that looks odd (in this case the bill).

 

[vwxyzen]

I don't remember mentioning caspian or royal terns. If the bird had a black tip to its bill it still wouldn't look like a common tern to me.eek!

Just looks like a Common lacking a dark bill tip to me, last time I looked neither Caspian nor Royal Terns had tail streamers. Look at the middle picture on birdguides with the two ducklings to the rear, a Caspian Tern would look a little bit bigger don't you think:eek!:

Look at the bird as a whole, not something that looks odd (in this case the bill).

 

[Ingsbirder]

Well you did say

Certainly not common tern with a bill that big!

So what were you implying that it was if not one of the large terns?

 

[vwxyzen]

hybrid.

Well you did say



So what were you implying that it was if not one of the large terns?

 

[Andrew Tongue]

The general consensus seems to be that the bird's an aberrant Common Tern and, for what it's worth, I would go along with that. For me, the most interesting thing is the claims about its size - bigger than BHGs...Perhaps it has some large tern genes...?

 

[Ingsbirder]

hybrid.

With what?

Why jump on the hybrid theory for a seemingly odd looking bird? Are you basing that purely on the seemingly larger than normal bill or the reportedly large size compared with BHG? What about plumage - if we go with your theory of a hybrid (with Caspian Tern?) then surely there would be hybrid features in wing pattern, tail structure etc that would be noticed/reported. Has Common Tern hybridised with Caspian Tern before - seems an odd hybrid pairing to me.

 

[BirdFlower]

One of my students tried to photograph Jim's fly, but he can't have as many pixels, as he could only manage the attached, but lots of special insects - on the blog

 

[Chris-Leeds]

Hopefully a better photo from Marcus if he goes for it will give a better indication. If it is bigger than BHGs as mentioned then it's not JUST a common tern (unless it's been hanging out with the chavs at my gym and sharing their steroids). Even if it happens to be a common isn't it out of the ordinary and worth inspection. :h?:

 

[Andrew Tongue]

Paull Holme Strays and Pat Haven Monday evening

Paull Holme Strays Western end 1915 - 1950:

Little Gull: 2
Black-tailed Godwit: 2
Golden Plover: 10
Redshank: 15
Common Gull: 1
Black-headed Gull: 390
Other observers had 2 Little Egrets and 1 Avocet at the Eastern end

Patrington Haven 2015 - 2125
Impressive high-tide gull roost this evening, the highlights being:
Yellow-legged Gull: 8
Med Gull: 2
Little Gull: 12
Common Gull: 17
Plus:
Whimbrel: 2
Black-tailed Godwit: 8
Bar-tailed Godwit: 1
Little Egret: 1
Avocet: 2
Grey Plover: 29
Golden Plover: 12
Dunlin: 3

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Hopefully a better photo from Marcus if he goes for it will give a better indication. If it is bigger than BHGs as mentioned then it's not JUST a common tern (unless it's been hanging out with the chavs at my gym and sharing their steroids). Even if it happens to be a common isn't it out of the ordinary and worth inspection. :h?:

Update on my site
http://ebirder.net/abct.aspx