Re: Dania Beach Terns

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Posted by Marie Gonsalo on 09:55:59 05/30/04

In Reply to: Dania Beach Terns posted by Bryant Roberts

I've seen Artic Terns in the field in Massachusetts (my home state). The one thing you first notice about them (no matter what plumage) is the short legs. They are really, really short and really obvious. Of course, they have to be standing to notice this characteristic!

Plumage can vary, structure doesn't (unless you are looking at a well fed shorebird ready for migration and its body shape has changed).

Hope this helps and I've enjoyed the discussion from all participants!

Marie
Marie Gonsalo
Fort Myers
:
: I got a message from Ted Hendrickson at lunch today that he'd
: seen an unusual tern on the beach north of the Dania Beach
: Fishing Pier this morning He wasn't sure if it was a Common or an
: Arctic Tern thought I'd be interested. I went there after work and
: soon spotted a tern flying around the fishing pier that looked like
: the one Ted described, it was a medium sized tern with medium
: gray mantle and underparts, white rump and tail with dark on the
: outside of outer tail feathers. From above the primaries showed no
: apparent dark wedge and from below there was only a narrow dark
: margin to the all white underwings. The gray on the underparts
: extended into the neck where it ended at a white patch below the
: eye and black crown and nape. This terns bill was all or mostly
: orange-red and appeared smaller in proportion to that of another
: tern that I believe was a first or second summer Common Tern that
: it sometimes stood near. But here is the rub, the tern that looked
: like an Arctic Tern looked larger than the apparent Common Tern,
: and this should not be so. All my books describe the Arctic Tern
: as being smaller and less robust than most of the medium sized
: terns but that was not my impression of this bird. Both terns were
: hunting around the fishing pier and sat on the railings and on the
: concrete platform west of the pier entrance gate.
:
: Dania Beach is located at the east end of Dania Beach Blvd. which runs east from US 1 between Sheridan Street and Griffin Road. There is a $1.25/hr parking fee and the pier has a $1.00 spectator fee.

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Comments:	: I've seen Artic Terns in the field in Massachusetts (my home state). The one thing you first notice about them (no matter what plumage) is the short legs. They are really, really short and really obvious. Of course, they have to be standing to notice this characteristic! : : Plumage can vary, structure doesn't (unless you are looking at a well fed shorebird ready for migration and its body shape has changed). : : Hope this helps and I've enjoyed the discussion from all participants! : : Marie : Marie Gonsalo : Fort Myers : : : : I got a message from Ted Hendrickson at lunch today that he'd : : seen an unusual tern on the beach north of the Dania Beach : : Fishing Pier this morning He wasn't sure if it was a Common or an : : Arctic Tern thought I'd be interested. I went there after work and : : soon spotted a tern flying around the fishing pier that looked like : : the one Ted described, it was a medium sized tern with medium : : gray mantle and underparts, white rump and tail with dark on the : : outside of outer tail feathers. From above the primaries showed no : : apparent dark wedge and from below there was only a narrow dark : : margin to the all white underwings. The gray on the underparts : : extended into the neck where it ended at a white patch below the : : eye and black crown and nape. This terns bill was all or mostly : : orange-red and appeared smaller in proportion to that of another : : tern that I believe was a first or second summer Common Tern that : : it sometimes stood near. But here is the rub, the tern that looked : : like an Arctic Tern looked larger than the apparent Common Tern, : : and this should not be so. All my books describe the Arctic Tern : : as being smaller and less robust than most of the medium sized : : terns but that was not my impression of this bird. Both terns were : : hunting around the fishing pier and sat on the railings and on the : : concrete platform west of the pier entrance gate. : : : : Dania Beach is located at the east end of Dania Beach Blvd. which runs east from US 1 between Sheridan Street and Griffin Road. There is a $1.25/hr parking fee and the pier has a $1.00 spectator fee. :
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