okaugust Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 (edited) Saturday we ventured north to Bowdoin NWR in northern Montana. It's the first time we've been there, and it was amazing! The volume of birds is really overwhelming, and as we drove almost six hours there and six home in the same day, we stretched our birding time as much as we could. Hoping to go back again this Saturday. The gulls, terns and shorebird variety is just amazing. Find of the day was a Black-bellied Plover in breeding plumage. I also managed to snap a few terns, and my local (Wyoming) ebird reviewer, who is really top notch with ID, said Forster's. Another fellow came along with this comment: This actually looks suggestive of an Arctic Tern. Gray underparts, thin, small bill, and narrow trailing edge on the underside of the wings. Are there any additional photos? Arctic Terns are occasionally reported at Bowdoin in summer. I was up there in 1998 when Steve Dinsmore and I found (mostly Steve) found Arctic Terns nesting at this NWR. (Joel Jorgenson) I don't have any other photos that are any more help, or from this same group of terns and area, but I thought I would put it up for opinions. Thank you! Edited July 28, 2020 by okaugust Removing hyperlink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 (edited) Disclaimer: I have no experience with Arctic Tern (dipped on it several times), but here's my two cents. The bill and feet are a bit longer than I'd like for Arctic- perhaps it is just instinct, but I like Common here- I've found they have an elegance and petiteness that Forster's does not have, but not to the extent of Arctic. Edited July 28, 2020 by Benjamin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackburnian Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 Other photos, even if you think they’re no different, can always help. If I was in the east, I’d consider Roseate with that thin, black bill but the tail isn’t quite right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
okaugust Posted July 28, 2020 Author Share Posted July 28, 2020 Okay, I'll go all in. 🙂 This one was from a the same group, about three that came over. Also from that group Three photos of this same group where the photo quality is poorer. I cropped them too. Those three were on the NW end of the lake, the first boat ramp along the auto tour route after leaving the visitor's center. These were on the south side of the lake, third section of the route (15 miles). I think we are going back this weekend, camping overnight at Charles M Russell to get an earlier start, and explore there as well. As mentioned, Bowdoin is amazing, and there are 1000s of terns and gulls and shorebirds. It's pretty overwhelming trying to look at everything at once. I would love to have a focus, but I love them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackburnian Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 Ok. That first picture of the second group of photos is definitely Roseate, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackburnian Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 I must be missing something, because that would be a MEGA rarity. I mean there’s no reports west of the Mississippi as far as I can tell. But that first photo of the second group looks like classic Roseate to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackburnian Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 Does anybody have any other thoughts? We’re talking about a massive rarity here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 9 minutes ago, blackburnian said: Does anybody have any other thoughts? We’re talking about a massive rarity here. @Tony Leukering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
okaugust Posted July 28, 2020 Author Share Posted July 28, 2020 Thank you for the continuing dialog, looking forward to further responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 @blackburnian I'm way out of my league here as I've not seen any of the rarer terns, but the fact that we can clearly see a dark trailing edge on the top of the primaries rules out Roseate with certainty, no? From what I know, if the first six photos are of the same bird, this is a classic Common Tern. Well defined dark tips on primaries from above and below = definitely not Forster's, long legs + long neck rules out Arctic. Notice the transparent windows on the wings below the black tips, and I'm seeing a dark outer web on the first photo of the second batch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 Also, the terns in the last two photos are Forster's, by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Leukering Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 In the first additional pic, we can see the molt break in the middle of the primaries (in the right wing), thus it's a Common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
okaugust Posted August 2, 2020 Author Share Posted August 2, 2020 Tony, any suggestions for that the very first photo is? Thank you, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 While I can't speak for Tony, I think that it's pretty clearly the same bird (Common). The tips of the primaries are very dark, the body appears gray, and the wings are translucent in the lower half of the primaries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.