Common tern at Waikanae

[Alan Tennyson]

A non-breeding common tern was with the large (c1,500) white-fronted flock today at the Waikanae sandspit today.

[Wrybill]

I may be heading down today not sure ill be looking out for the little tern as well if i go

[Michael Szabo]

Oskar Ehrhardt also reported a Common Tern there yesterday morning in this eBird checklist. His photo shows a bird with black coming down much closer to the base of the bill: https://ebird.org/atlasnz/checklist/S124123073

[Wrybill]

Sighted today with the Little tern possibly two??

Photos obtained Adding now

[Wrybill]

Photos more to come
other bird sighted earlier thought as juvenile white fronted???

[Oscar Thomas]

The black you can see is on the wingtips (not the tail), but good find that looks to be the same as Oskar's bird

[Wrybill]

Thanks Oscar I also saw the same one as Alan's before but didn't take a record shot it was a great birding day.

[Alan Tennyson]

Here's a photo of the common tern that BerndHuss and I were looking at on the spit this evening. It's clearly different to the 18 Dec bird.

[Alan Tennyson]

...also the bird that we saw today isn't the same as that photographed by Oskar on 18 Dec (in his eBird Checklist, which actually looks quite a lot like a white-fronted to me - others' thoughts on that one?)

[Oscar Thomas]

...also the bird that we saw today isn't the same as that photographed by Oskar on 18 Dec (in his eBird Checklist, which actually looks quite a lot like a white-fronted to me - others' thoughts on that one?)

Structure and plumage look fine for Common to me but yes a bit different again to your latest bird, which has a bigger bill and fresher plumage. Surely the black mottling on the front between the bill and crown of Oskar’s bird rules out WFT?