Subject: [Tweeters] Arctic Tern off KVI Beach, Vashon Island, Wednesday,
Date: Aug 27 18:32:23 2008
From: Eugene and Nancy Hunn - enhunn323 at comcast.net


Tweets,



I did a bike ride around Vashon Island today (lots of hills!) hoping for
unusual shorebirds for my King County year list. Not much to report on that
front but while enjoying the Least and Western Sandpipers (and a single
Semipalmated Sandpiper), all juvies, at KVI Beach I noticed a small tern
struggling against the wind headed south 100 yards or so offshore. It fought
the wind for nearly five minutes, eventually coming in to within less tha 50
yards. I was able to follow it in my scope at 25x. At first I thought it
might be another Forster's Tern like I saw last week on Lake Washington, as
it showed a clear pale gray mantle to the tips of the primaries above. It
showed a subtle but noticeable dusky carpal bar (thus it was not a full
adult) and a very narrow black margin at the tips of the primaries beneath.
The cap was reduced to the cowl of a winter adult or immature Common or
Arctic, complete across the nape, ruling out Forster's. The clincher was
that the bill was notably short, black, and the round head and bill
projected noticeably less ahead of the wing than the tail projected behind.
A translucent triangle showed on the underside of the trailing edge of the
wing. A graceful and elegant bird. I would judge it to have been a first
summer Arctic Tern. Last seen about 2:45 PM heading south towards Pt.
Robinson. A first for King County for me and one of very few documented
records.



Gene Hunn

18476 47th Pl NE

Lake Forest Park, WA

enhunn323 at comcast.net