g’Day all At about 3.30pm on Tuesday afternoon (18/11/2014) while exercising my dog at Windmill Swamp, Stieglitz Tas. I observed a solitary Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) in non breeding plumage, feeding vigorously around the vegetated rushy, reedy margins of the fresh water swamp. After about 1/2 an hour, the bird ceased feeding and began circling rapidly, ascending to an estimated 150 meters height where it then flew south for as long as I could watch it holding my binoculars and to where it was just a speck in the sky, almost out of sight it then descended out of sight towards Jocks Lagoon also fresh water. (RAMSAR site), about 1 km away from where I was standing. Most distinctive feature from distance is its buoyant and erratic, flitting, darting flight. Its direction changes were remarkable to watch, rapidly swooping, back flitting and diving from about 10 meters to the water surface among reedy vegetation feeding on what appeared to be surface insects. Unique face markings, dark marks on sides of breast, white collar and rapid floating, buoyant, darting erratic flight were the most characteristic features that I could see. The next day and also today (Thursday) I was unable to relocate the bird after searching all coastal swamps and suitable habitats from St Helens to Falmouth. I did not have a camera with me, but 100% certain of this bird’s identity having experience with and studied both Whiskered and White-winged Black Terns in previous years. The purpose of this note is to alert observers in Tasmania to be on the lookout. I will post more information in the next week with all minor detail. I decided to post this on Birding-Aus because for me, BA offers the more for bird watchers, not just for twitchers and seems to have the best, most comprehensive and reliable archive. Good birding and best wishes Ian May St Helens, Tasmania 0428337956
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g’Day all Some might remember late last year when I posted my observation of a solitary Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) in non breeding plumage sighted at Stieglitz Tas. on 18/11/2014. Having unsuccessfully searched suitable habitat areas around the district many times over the past 3 months and also waiting hopefully for some other observer to turn it up somewhere else in Tassie, it looks like that is not going to happen. In the meantime, I have prepared a MS Word Document file that describes the observation and will send it to any one that wants it and also have decided to post this on birding aus, just for the record. The observation is described below. regards Ian May PO Box 110 St Helens, Tas. 7216 ———————————————————————— Black Tern sighted at Windmill Swamp, Stieglitz. Tasmania 7216 Australia at approx. 1530 on Tuesday 18 November 2014. Ian May PO Box 110 St Helens 7216 At about 1530 on Tuesday 18 November 2014, I was exercising my dog at the freshwater “Windmill Swamp”, Stieglitz Tasmania. 7216. (41 19.75 S, 148 18.75 E) when I observed a small/medium marsh type tern, flying around the reedy north eastern margins of the lagoon about 200 meters from my location. Watching this bird for about 1/2 an hour from distances of between 300 to less than 10 meters, it appeared systematic in its intent to cover the feeding area as it was slowly moving in an anticlockwise direction around the margin of the lagoon until eventually passing directly over me standing among reeds at the north western edge of the swamp It continued flying feeding, moving to the south of me along the western margin to SW of swamp before ascending as described below and departing towards Jocks Lagoon. The bird was observed with 10 x 50 binoculars in good light conditions with sun behind me and in reasonable weather conditions, partly cloudy, moderately calm to ENE < 10 knots with estimated air temperature 18-20C. I did not have a camera with me and no photos were taken. Description Underparts extending to under tail, sides of neck, collar, throat and forehead white. Underwing grey. Black crown, faintly speckled adjacent to forehead. Black extending back from just forward of dark eye, across crown towards nape and also vertically down side of face as an oblong shape sideburn from behind the eye. The shape of this marking on the side of the face resembled a curved T shaped jigsaw piece. Adjacent to and forward from the bottom of the T, there was a dark mark loosely resembling a small heart shaped eye patch separated by a conspicuous pale 1/2 eye ring especially behind, above and below eye. Back was grey, slightly darker at mantle, darker than tops of wings with maybe the faintest brownish tinge visible at certain angles. The contrasting white between the back and crown formed a conspicuous white collar. Top its wings, light grey but darker on leading edge from carpel to body, more pronounced towards body but paler along wing centres. Conspicuous dark grey triangular shaped mark extending down and well into white sides of breast from front of wing, more pronounced than a smudge. It had a paler rump, darker towards its light grey tail and slightly darker again towards tip but no visible bar. Tail was slightly forked but more squarish when spread. Underwing was pale but darker towards rear. Conspicuous white collar between black crown and grey back. Legs and bill appeared grey/black. Bill was longish, slightly down curved; appearance accentuated while pointed downwards when bird flying in horizontal position before swooping down to catch insects. No calls heard. Flight Behaviour Buoyant, erratic, characteristic darting, swooping, back tracking, diving, over marshy reeds and rushes, not flying over open water. Rapid short wing beats, very short periods hovering. Unusual flight characteristic when departing swamp, ascending and circling rapidly (Circles in diameter of about 30meters) and in what almost appeared to be a small thermal column to an estimated 150 m drifting south, (then flying directly south for about 1 km and then descending on next known body of fresh water at "Jocks Lagoon" RAMSAR site. it appeared to use its elevation to help locate the next new area). No further sighting. I had no camera with me at the time, Feeding behaviour This bird appeared to be feeding on insects or tadpoles, picking from water surface amongst vegetation, possibly catching small insects above water. Preference to fly and feed over reedy, marshy vegetation rather than open water or drier tussock grasses. (Abundant marshy, broad succulent <1m rushes> g’Day all
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Hello Ian Exciting sighting! What age was the bird? And did you notice any other plumage characteristics? Dark sides on the breast alone cannot rule out a White-winged Black Tern as they can show one when moulting body feathers though this is rarely as marked as on Black Tern. I am not saying that the bird you saw wasn’t a Black Tern, but your written description is not enough to rule out White-winged Black Tern. In any case good luck with your BARC submission if you decide to do so. :). Cheers, D.
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