[MDOsprey] Details on Bridled Tern
Patty Craig (pattycraig@mail.ameritel.net)
Fri, 03 Sep 1999 10:32:51 -0400
These are more details on the Bridled Tern that I saw at Point Lookout
State Park.
As I was leaving the park I made a turn around the circle scanning a
little to see if I caught sight of anything unusual. I noticed a group
of terns and gulls as I reached the ponds that were feeding in the bay
about a tenth of a mile out. A dark one caught my eye. But its head
pattern that was very similar to a Least Tern's was just as attention
getting. It had a white forehead and black on the rest of the head to
below the eye. The back and upper wings were a dark gray of about the
same shade, but the wings had a narrow blackish trailing edge. The back
and crown contrasted strongly with an obvious light or whitish nape.
The dark of the back faded gradually to a lighter shade of gray on the
rump and tail. I did not see white edges on the tail. The tail was
forked, but not deeply. It had no streamers so it was similar in shape
to a young Forster's or Common Tern's. The bill was dark and shaped
like a Common Tern's. The under parts were very light or white. There
was no dark breast mark at the shoulder as in a Black Tern. I saw the
underwings, but did not note the pattern.
The tern was the size and shape of the nearby Common Terns, but looked a
little slimmer than the Forster's Tern in both body and wings. It was
not like the Black Terns that I saw just the night before that were
noticeably smaller and plumper that the other terns.
The tern seemed to stay a little aloof from the group. It was always
toward the back of the group and at the periphery (either closer to the
shore or farther in the bay). It would be behind the group, but it flew
faster than the group and would work its way about a forth of the length
of the group, drop straight down as if diving (but it did not dive while
I was watching), then pick something up (I am assuming), turn and fly
behind the group. It then repeated this activity. The other birds were
steadily working their way up the bay.
After watching it with binoculars for several minutes from my vehicle
for I parked at the picnic area and got out my scope. I tried to watch
from the protection of the trees, but there began to be too much traffic
going to the point, so I went across the road to the shore. Conditions
were not very good - high winds, spray in the face and heavily
overcast. But I did notice with the scope that black of the head did
not go straight across, but dipped down slightly behind the eye. After
about ten more minutes the group had gone quite far up the shore and I
decided I might see better from the pier area. I went back to my
vehicle, and went towards the fishing area. I could no longer see the
group and I didn't find them at the pier so I went on to the causeway.
No luck. I retraced my steps a couple of times and finally saw a
similar group of birds (about 60-80 Common Terns, a handful of Forster's
Terns and about 20 first-year Laughing Gulls) near the original spot,
but there was no dark tern among them. I am guessing that they worked
their way as far north as they wanted then the entire group went south
beyond the point and started working their way north again losing the
Bridled Tern in the process.
Sorry I didn't get back with details sooner,
Patty Craig
Dameron, St. Mary's County, MD
pattycraig@mail.ameritel.net