[obol] an inelegant tern and darn distant shorebirds

[Paul T. Sullivan]

OBOL:

On Saturday Carol Karlen & I visited Siletz Bay around mid-day.  We saw a 
flock of ~60 Black-bellied Plovers (probably) and ~400 peeps out on a 
sandbar in the middle of the bay.   In their midst were several Intermediate 
Distant Shorebirds (Calidocharadamn longidistancius).  We observed them 
first form Cutler City, then from Hwy 101 near Kernville, then from the 
south edge of the bay at Salishan.  After grabbing a sandwitch, we went back 
to the Hwy 101 viewpoint, but the tide was still not high enough to drive 
the birds closer to us.  By the time we settled in at Salishan to wait for 
high tide the birds had vanished.  :-(

-------------------------

On Sunday, about 5 PM we were on the south jetty at Newport, near the dune. 
We saw a small tern moving up the estuary along the south jetty.  We were 
able to chase ahead of it and get to the dry "gull puddle" mid-way along the 
jetty, so that we could watch it pass.  It came by, went toward the bridge, 
crossed the river a time or two, then worked its way out along the north 
jetty, back and forth.  Eventually we lost it.  I was able to follow it part 
of the time with my scope.

What I saw: the bird was too small for an Elegant Tern, the bill was short 
and black/red.  The entire upper surface of the wings was frosty white, 
without the black wedge of a Common Tern.  The belly was also clean white, 
not the gray of an Arctic Tern.  Behind the eye there was a black patch 
which did not extend across the nape.  The forehead and crown were white. 
I'm convinced we saw a FORSTER'S TERN.

Looking at Range Bayer's phenology of birds in Lincoln county, 
http://www.orednet.org/~rbayer/j/j519-527.htm,
I see that Forster's Terns have been reported previously in September.

Good birding,

Paul T. Sullivan

"Do all you can,
  with what you have,
  in the time you have,
  in the place you are."

  Nkosi Johnson (Xolani Nkosi), South African child,  AIDS spokesperson
    biography:  "We Are All the Same" by Jim Wooten