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Posted by Marcello Gomes on 19:35:25 05/04/15
Hi all,
It was my "Tern" I guess
A few days ago, I went to the Jupiter Inlet to check out the area. The shorebirds and ocean birds already have my number at the Boynton Inlet (although the Whimbrels were not too shy and 15 of them flew by way out in the ocean). Not my best shots but no one can argue on the ID.
Anyhow, back to Jupiter Inlet...It was good to change locations and compare and contrast I guess. I had 21 Bobolinks flying from the ocean to the beach area. I could see mostly male blackbirds with white scapulars and there's nothing quite like it. There were 5 different Terns there too and almost all in breeding stages: Least Terns (6), Royal (1), Sandwich (2), Common (1), and last but not least an uncommon/rare? kind of Tern - at least in Palm Beach shores - ROSEATE TERN. I thought I was looking at a Common Tern because in my mind that is something I could find during migration northbound at this time of year. The Roseate Tern was actively fishing and moving so fast into the wind and it was hard to keep track of the bird that was mixed in the Tern flock. Fortunately, I secured some shots to make it an official record. You can clearly see its roseate underparts in at least one shot. In another shot, you can see a few colorful leg bands on it. I got shot from every angle possible because the clouds kept making the light change. I could not believe that I could actually find that tern around here because I kept reading of isolated cases in Miami-Dade. I know that according to ebird records the last time one was seeing around was about 3 years ago. I know they breed in the Keys and up the Massachusetts coast and that they are rarely seeing during migration. The bird was there for 10-15 minutes is what I estimate. I left the place thinking I had a few Common Terns. A few days later, I did a more in-depth research and saw a friend's photo on Flickr and saw that the Tern I had looked very much like his. He labeled Roseate Tern and that is when it got my attention.
I think that is a good find. I'm glad I was at the "right" place at the right time.
Before I go, I'd like to point out that the mystery of Cave Swallows being present and most likely breeding within a Cliff colony in Palm Beach County is put to rest in my educated opinion and research-based observations. How do I know? I got clear shots showing the differences between the two species. Why would a Cave swallow be going under a bridge inference tells me that the shady and cool conditions mimic their natural cave habitat and breeding grounds (much like the area in Miami-Dade). These "cousin" Swallows seemed to be living peacefully with one another off Conners Rd./ Highway 700 by Muck City Rd on the way to Canal Point.
Take care,
Marcello
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