Subject: Re: Puget Sound Tern Wanderings
Date: Aug 24 11:46:25 1995
From: Dennis Paulson - dpaulson at ups.edu


Maureen Ellis wrote:

>Last evening .. . flock of Common Terns . . . fishing pier at the Des Moines,
>WA, marina.
>
>Is this a routine location for Common Terns? The bird-finding-in-wa guide
>by Wahl 'n Paulson indicated that these terns are abundant in the Sound
>area starting in August and on through early fall.

This is one of those cases when Wahl & Paulson were entirely correct!
Common Terns *are* common terns in this area in the fall (not so in
spring), all the way down to the south end of the Sound. And, actually,
they are common into late fall, well into October. Largest flocks I've
seen in the state have been in the San Juans and Grays Harbor.

>Where do these terns winter? Thanks for any info.

Common Terns winter south of the U.S., from Mexico and the Caribbean well
down both coasts of South America. That's one of the nice things about
books that have entire range maps of species, in contrast with field guides
that show the range only in our area.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416