Tern of the Season

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With everyone talking about the possibility of good birds showing up with the unusual weather pattern currently over Ohio, I decided to spend some time at East Fork looking for birds.

The air was much cooler than it has been and the winds were blowing pretty good out of the west. The water was very choppy. I didn't get there until around 4pm, so there were people swimming and walking dogs on the beach. However, I was able to spot a non breeding Forster's Tern coming in from out over the lake. It landed very near me on the beach with the Ring-billed Gulls.

The way to tell this bird from the non breeding Common Tern would be the lack of dark black across the crown of the head. Forster's has a kind of black eye mask. Also, the Common has a black carpal bar (shoulder) which the Forster's lacks.

I did spot 4 Black Terns in winter plumage as well way out skimming the surface of the lake. Later, I also spotted a flock of 3 Pectoral Sandpipers flying out over the lake.

I will definitely take the change of season, even if it is only temporary! (Supposed to be back to near 90° next week.)

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