Common Tern, Ashley River mouth

[Samsperdy]

Tern present today.
https://ebird.org/atlasnz/checklist/S161761027

[Davidthomas]

Present again today on the main spit out from Waikuku beach carpark

[Michael Szabo]

Jonty Godfrey and Michael Burton-Smith report 2 Common Terns at the Ashley River estuary yesterday:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S163500538

[benackerley]

Two seen today on spit. Been two for a while but no ones seen them at the same time.
https://ebird.org/atlasnz/checklist/S163509583

[Michael Szabo]

That's interesting. Did you get any shots of the two of them together?

[benackerley]

No but I did get shots of each other them. They were at separate sides of the group

[Michael Szabo]

Okay then, did one of them have bright red legs like the one that Peter Langlands saw there back in January?

[benackerley]

Hey Michael, I can't edit them at the moment but I'll send some phone pics. One appears to have a black beak and feet while the other red.

[TRobertson]

Ben's checklist on the 24th of Feb, you must have been the group of 2-3 I saw on the south-west side of Ashley estuary, I was on the Waikuku beach side, the common tern I saw remained on the ground for approx 1hr from 3.30pm.
The image I have on my checklist also appears to have the slightly more redish legs compared to your image around the same time, similar to the above images you posted.

Ben's: https://ebird.org/atlasnz/checklist/S162701555
Mine: https://ebird.org/checklist/S162706153

[Michael Szabo]

Thanks Ben, nice shots.
I don't think the reddish legs are as bright as on the bird that Peter Langlands saw there back in early December.
Cheers,
Michael