Unusual Tern - Maketu

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Tim Barnard
Posts: 426
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2016 7:30 pm
Location: Okere Falls

Unusual Tern - Maketu

Postby Tim Barnard » Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:58 pm

Hi
Julian Fitter reported an unusual tern at Maketu this afternoon at about 3.30pm. Full black cap and red bill, greyish, forked tail, elegant jizz not much smaller than a white-front. I must have missed it by minutes. Julian thinks its a possible Antarctic.
I'll be back tomorrow.

Little Tern there with about 400 White fronts. Marsh Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Turnstone at Little Waihi.
Cheers
Tim
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Tim Barnard
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Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2016 7:30 pm
Location: Okere Falls

Re: Unusual Tern - Maketu

Postby Tim Barnard » Sun Nov 12, 2017 9:21 pm

Just got this from Julian ...
Terns, Inc. Antarctic, Maketu Spit 12Nov17  397-1.jpg
Terns, Inc. Antarctic, Maketu Spit 12Nov17 397-1.jpg (82.31 KiB) Viewed 2139 times
Ian Southey
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Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 5:45 pm

Re: Unusual Tern - Maketu

Postby Ian Southey » Sun Nov 12, 2017 10:23 pm

It looks a bit big but maybe Arctic? They should be passing through about now I think.

Ian
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Tim Barnard
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Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2016 7:30 pm
Location: Okere Falls

Re: Unusual Tern - Maketu

Postby Tim Barnard » Tue Nov 14, 2017 7:53 am

Had a look last night ... lovely evening and plenty of activity on the spit but nothing out the ordinary. Little tern ever present and a couple of Turnstone, as well as a Dotterel chick weaving between nesting White-fronted tern. I agree Ian always good to start with the obvious ... but its the apparent leg length I find a litte confusing for Arctic. Everything else apart, it looks a little tall. I don't know. Just hope it pops up again.

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