Ashley Estuary

[Colin Miskelly]

Thanks for these comments Paul

I have amended the caption on the Hawke's Bay image accordingly.

Suggestions for corrections and improvements to text and captions on NZ Birds Online are greatly appreciated - it is easy to edit, and the collective wisdom (and ability to check multiple pages and captions) of the wider birding community is greatly appreciated.

Any comments are best sent to the 'Contact us' link on the website. They are likely to be overlooked on a forum such as this (I read only a fraction of the postings). Please do not send them direct to me, as I will have no email or internet connection for the next 2.5 months (bliss!). Thanks very much to Alan Tennyson (bird enquiries) and Duncan Watson (image administration) who have agreed to assist with website administration and enquiries in my absence.

Cheers
Colin

[SomesBirder]

However, a caveat about using NZ Birds Online to identify this species: There's at least one wrong/debatable picture
on their Arctic Tern page, most obviously the still unidentified 2011 Hawkes Bay mystery tern that has been under
discussion for four years, and identified as at least three different species by various authorities. In my humble
opinion, Arctic Tern certainly isn't one of the top choices.

Why can't it just be confirmed as being an Antarctic tern? No South American tern is going to get here alive...

[Paul G]

Thanks for these comments Paul..I have amended the caption on the Hawke's Bay image accordingly. Suggestions for corrections and improvements to text and captions on NZ Birds Online are greatly appreciated
Any comments are best sent to the 'Contact us' link on the website.
Cheers Colin

Brill positive response thanks Colin. A lot more positive that I often seem to be, in fact! Thank you.
I'll pass comments via the link, as suggested.

Much appreciated that you've changed the caption, of course. But it's still headed: Arctic Tern.
"Arctic tern. A long-billed adult in breeding plumage resting among red-billed gulls and white-fronted terns.
The identification of this bird remains uncertain".

Yes, we've had numerous opinions from around the world, none of which agreed. So why choose to classify the picture
on just one of those species' page? It does rather appear that the website is being used to promote a personal opinion,
to the detriment of an impartial presentation of unsubstantiated data?
So perhaps the "Arctic Tern" header (and the picture's inclusion on the Arctic Tern page) might colour matters in a direction that is purely speculative, and favours an individual opinion, rather than the scientific fact?

So if it is indeed an "Unidentified Tern" as per the RAC pronouncement on it, then it surely is not appropriate for it
to be presented on NZ Birds Online, in a manner that suggests otherwise. Especially since the same personnel are
involved in both processes.

Thanks again for picking up on the comments
Paul

[andrewcrossland]

By the way, the Artci Tern at the Ashley estuary shown in the link to a photo a few posts above, isn't the common that I watched a few nights ago - that had a receding cap, this doesn't. So at least 2 commic terns about at the Ashley

[Nick Allen]

Counted the waders today at the Ashley. Highlights were the 2 Whimbrels (one in the godwit roost on shingle in the lagoon at the end of the river and one a short distance upstream near Raupo Berm), also the Eastern Curlew on the mud north of Saltwater Creek. An amazing 202 Bar-tailed Godwits counted, with 193 of them in the roost flock mentioned above. The tide was low, so not sure why they weren't feeding. 5 Turnstones also present. Searched hard for the strange plover and any Knots, but either they were not present, or they were way up to the north near Ashworths Ponds - the only part of the estuary I didn't go to. Only 2 medium-sized terns roosting, and neither could be turned into anything other than White-fronted - probably the rest were out feeding. Probably the first time I've been to the estuary and Caspians have outnumbered White-fronteds. Black-backed Gulls seem to have given up breeding in the dunes on Ashworths Spit and are now in the saltmarsh at the back of the estuary north of the river. They don't seem to be breeding as prolifically as they did on the spit.

Dratted microlights were a nuisance during the 2 hours or so I was present. At least two different ones, with a powered trike hang-glider with a registration mark that rhymes with thug circling round and round the estuary and river mouth for about 20 minutes or so annoying the waders and Black-backed Gulls on the estuary and putting up the roosting godwits at least once. This Reliant Robin of the aviation world is registered to someone who lives in Rangiora, and no doubt is based at the airfield near that town, flying along the river annoying birds all the way on its flight there and back.