[texbirds] 8 Tern day; FOS HY COTE and BLTE; FOTEs with gray body; Colombian necktie; more

From: MBB22222@xxxxxxx
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2013 23:07:05 -0400 (EDT)

What can be better than 8 Tern day? - 9+ Tern day but I did not have that  
one, not yet. This weekend  (Saturday and Monday; skipped Sunday as I  was 
afraid that beaches will be overcrowded by people not birds) was  phenomenal  
at Quintana mudflats - not only because of terns but other  shorebirds as 
well. On Saturday I had 8 Tern day (seven in view at the same time  - 
Gull-billed I saw only inside marshes). Monday was similar (I did not look for  
GBTE) with 7 terns in view - I managed to get photo of 5 tern species next to  
each other plus Black Skimmer in background for icing. Other two terns were 
near  by but did not want to squeeze into the group photo. 
 
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/152152573/original
I took too many interesting photos to be even able to check them all  but 
here are a few as examples.
 
Please be aware that adult Forsterâs Terns during this time of the year are 
 molting into basic plumage and some might have gray body feathers - in 
similar  pattern to "diagnostic" trait of Common Tern! So much for some field 
marks. 
 
http://www.pbase.com/image/152152650
 
Today I had FOS juvenile Common Tern; juvenile Black Terns are already  
here. Cutie with legs still pinkish.
 
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/152152537
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/152152538
 
One Caspian Tern must had problem with Colombian mafia - had âColombian  
necktieâ. BTW this is not a first time I see this condition - anybody knows 
what  can be reason for this?
 
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/152152518
 
Must be a good fishing as many Royal Terns were choking on large  fishes.
 
On the ground
 
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/152152527
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/152152528
 
And on the wing (some looking very pregnant)
 
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/152152529

Also there were 2 subadult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (during all this  
summer months I saw up to 4  there but never looked for them specifically).  As 
up to today I did not see any adults yet but one older one look  similar to 
the adult so it might be confusing. 
 
Mark B Bartosik
Houston, Texas
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/from_the_field
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[texbirds] 8 Tern day; FOS HY COTE and BLTE; FOTEs with gray body; Colombian necktie; more

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