Hi folks, Bill here
I’ve just got back from Darwin (including a terrific morning’s birding followed by lunch with Denise Goodfellow), topping a three week drive from Melboring.
There are a number of things that are bugging me, top of the list being a bird I spotted at great distance on Darwin Harbour – that is, feeding near the sewerage outfall south west of Government House (hmm, I wonder if there’s any connection there…?)
I’ve got two photos, one reasonable, one not so great, links below. So far, candidates are Gull-billed Tern (non-breeding), White-winged Black Tern (non-breeding) and even a Red-tailed Tropicbird. Unfortunately, at such a distance I wasn’t able to get a good idea as to how large the bird is, but I’d say it’s not huge, but probably larger than a small Tern. The feet seem to be red, although it’s been suggested that this may actually be chromatic aberration in the lens.
Suggestions?
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=419115&l=9b5e3c6a8a&id=100000148897455
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=419116&l=afe5425834&id=100000148897455 ============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ==============================
I emailed Bill Stent to tell him I reckon that his bird is either a Whiskered or a White-winged Black Tern. At first glance the dark eye blotch seems to suggest Gull-billed Tern but it is wrongly inclined. That mark on Gull-billed Tern slopes down from forward of the eye, such that the rear of it is more distant from the crown than the forward edge. On Bill’s bird it slopes up as would head markings on non-breeding Whiskered or White-winged Black Tern. Also, as Peter notes, the outer tail feathers are not long enough to create a fork when closed. Both the above features are visible in the photo to which Russell drew our attention. I also agree that the legs really are red, matching both of the marsh terns, contrary Gull-billed which are black. What gives the head markings the reddish tinge, must however be aberration.
Mike Carter 30 Canadian Bay Road Mount Eliza VIC 3930 Tel (03) 9787 7136
—– Original Message —– Cc: Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 11:19 PM
href=”mailto:birding-aus-bounces@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-bounces@vicnet.net.au href=”mailto:birding-aus@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus@vicnet.net.au http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TsfLn9gw7Dw/Sq2etHozt1I/AAAAAAAAAd4/MkhoMdVMTEY/s320/Gull-billed+Tern.jpg>>> It’s from a blog by Jan Axel:>>>> http://janbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html>>> So Gull-billed Tern gets my vote.>>>> On 13/07/2010, at 7:49 PM, Bill Stent wrote:>>>>> Hi folks, Bill here>>>>>> I’ve just got back from Darwin (including a terrific morning’s>>> birding followed by lunch with Denise Goodfellow), topping a three>>> week drive from Melboring.>>>>>> There are a number of things that are bugging me, top of the list>>> being a bird I spotted at great distance on Darwin Harbour – that>>> is, feeding near the sewerage outfall south west of Government>>> House (hmm, I wonder if there’s any connection there…?)>>>>>> I’ve got two photos, one reasonable, one not so great, links>>> below. So far, candidates are Gull-billed Tern (non-breeding),>>> White-winged Black Tern (non-breeding) and even a Red-tailed>>> Tropicbird. Unfortunately, at such a dist ance I wasn’t able to get>>> a good idea as to how large the bird is, but I’d say it’s not huge,>>> but probably larger than a small Tern. The feet seem to be red,>>> although it’s been suggested that this may actually be chromatic>>> aberration in the lens.>>>>>> Suggestions?>>>>>>http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=419115&l=9b5e3c6a8a&id=100000148897455>>>>>>http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=419116&l=afe5425834&id=100000148897455>>> ============================== ===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
But the outer tail feathers in the photo Russell found still project further than the others, giving it a slightly forked appearance. Bill’s photo shows a very rounded tail. I’d think that would only be possible in this species (GBT) if the outer tail feathers had moulted and/or were regrowing. Is that a possibility at this time of year?
Despite the idea of the legs being made to appear red by fringing being mine, I can’t quite believe it’s true. I’m interested to hear opinions about that, and also in explanations for the light bill tip in the first photo – is it the bill, or something in it?
Peter Shute
————————– Sent using BlackBerry
—– Original Message —– href=”mailto:birding-aus-bounces@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-bounces@vicnet.net.au Cc: birding-aus@vicnet.net.au Sent: Tue Jul 13 21:50:10 2010
Yes, you can get surprising results when birds spread their tails – I’ve photographed Needletails with their tails spread – it gives them a totally different look.
href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Yes, you can get surprising results when birds spread their tails – I’ve photographed Needletails with their tails spread – it gives them a totally different look.
href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Hi Bill
The head and wings look right for non-breeding Gull-billed Tern, but I’m not sure about the tail. Or I wasn’t until I found this image, which looks a lot like yours:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TsfLn9gw7Dw/Sq2etHozt1I/AAAAAAAAAd4/MkhoMdVMTEY/s320/Gull-billed+Tern.jpg
It’s from a blog by Jan Axel:
http://janbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html
So Gull-billed Tern gets my vote.
href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
Russell Woodford rwood@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Bill the Bill shape, general coloration and head pattern looks like a non-breeding Gull-billed Tern to me. The only thing that looks a bit odd for a GBTern is the tail, which doesn’t looked forked. But that could just be the fact that it’s spread.
Rob Morris
Brisbane, Australia
href=”mailto:billstent@gmail.com”>billstent@gmail.com href=”mailto:birding-aus@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus@vicnet.net.au href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
_________________________________________________________________ Need a new place to live? Find it on Domain.com.au http://clk.atdmt.com/NMN/go/157631292/direct/01/============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ==============================