Antarctic Tern, Lake Ellesmere outlet

[Michael Szabo]

Peter Langlands reports via Facebook seeing 5 terns species ashore at Lake Ellesmere outlet today - Antarctic Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Black-fronted Tern, Caspian Tern and White-fronted Tern plus a dark morph Arctic Skua:
https://www.facebook.com/peter.langland ... xyPSDPxwml

Warwick Allen also posted this eBird checklist:
https://ebird.org/atlasnz/checklist/S163060027

[Michael Szabo]

Map showing the location:

[andrewcrossland]

Fantastic sighting! Definitely the bird of the year for Canterbury!

[Ian Southey]

From the facebook pictures, the bright bill and legs with this plumage seem odd but otherwise I'm wondering if this might be an Arctic Tern.

The very dark outer webs on the tail suggest that it might not be an AntarcticTern at all and those long streamers appear to project well beyond the tail. The deep breast and swollen shoulders suggest an Arctic Tern, the bill looks about right and those legs look a bit short but those stones and the posture might affect that.

It would have 1-2 months to go before migration, enough time to finish the wing moult and put on some breeding plumage.

Ian

[Michael Szabo]

Thanks Ian, I passed on your comments to Peter via his FB post and he has replied:
"The terns size would suggest Antarctic tern as in the field it was not discernably smaller than the WFT. I'll submit a UBR".

[Jan]

It isn't possible to walk straight out from Fishermens Point, as there's a channel in the way. Access is from the Marae and Church marked on the map along the gravel beach.

[Michael Szabo]

Several birders report via Facebook going there yesterday to look for it but although the WFT flock was still there with 1 White-winged Black Tern, there was no Antarctic Tern ashore with them.

[benackerley]

Found theres photos of a weird looking tern while going through photos. Could just be a dark WFT or a juvenile Antarctic tern. The bird did not land and disappeared soon after the photos were taken. The collar, dark cap, and tail point to Antarctic tern.

[Michael Szabo]

Was this at Lake Ellesmere outlet today please, Ben?

[Oscar Thomas]

It is a juvenile white-fronted tern in my opinion.