WHISKERED TERN, Cape May

Just back from a successful down-and-back run to Cape May for the adult WHISKERED TERN found there yesterday. Greg Hanisek, Phil Rusch, and Nick Block joined me for the chase. Weather was dreary but we made sure to arrive at 7am which allowed us to avoid the rain. Photography was difficult given the weather, but I got some stuff worth posting anyway. We enjoyed prolonged killer scope views while the bird was roosting on the beach and repeatedly watched it forage over the Bunker Pond, sometimes in company with a Black Tern. It spent the entire morning commuting back and forth between the beach and pond. We left Cape May very tired but happy!

Whiskered Tern (right) with Forster's Tern

During our only moment of sunlight all morning, the Whiskered Tern can be seen head-on in the middle of the frame, to give you an idea of what you're looking for among your typical autumn east coast flock.


coming in for a landing

left to right: Common Tern, Forster's Tern, Whiskered Tern





with juvenile Black Tern foraging over the pond


The bird was easily picked out in flight, as this photo indicates.

Amazingly, all three North American records are summer adults from Cape May, NJ (1993, 1998, 2014), although the 1993 bird later moved to Delaware.

 - Nick

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