Can anyone recognise these two terns, amongst the gulls. (1 Viewer)

[Rudegar]

Picture taken June last year in carmarthenshire.

 

[Butty]

At far right on the shore is a Sandwich tern (yellow bill-tip). The other probably is as well (yellow bill-tip is, I think, real, though half the bird has an artifact-induced yellow halo).

 

[Owene]

Sandwich breed in carmarthenshire. Almost any other tern species in south wales will usually be a single vagrant and attract birder attention

 

[Butty]

Almost any other tern species in south wales will usually be a single vagrant

Err, no.

 

[Owene]

Err, no.

Occasional 2s maybe but passage seawatches aside yes. Can't think of a group of any other tern species in the last 7 or 8 years. Patch birders here go nuts for any non sandwich tern

Only other one that comes to mind was a day with half dozen black tern at a couple of sites but that was a notable event

I did mean migrant rather than vagrant but even common tern is notable here

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,
I agree with Butty, both are Sandwich Terns. Adding to the yellow bill tip, please note really black primaries. Many Common Terns in June have paler (still contrasting dark) primaries with less contrast and they regular get that dark later in the year (yes, not a foolproof feature) while Little and Roseate Tern with black primaries in June have only the outer primaries black =smaller black tip.

And thanks Owene and Butty for the additional info about distribution, regular a helpful (yet biasing) point to consider. End of serious comment.

(No Cabots Tern here? Not serious, but I can't resist, sorry.)

 

[Butty]

I did mean migrant rather than vagrant

👍🏻
Totally different.

 

[smiths]

Three Sandwich terns actually.

 

[Bewick]

There's also a med gull in the picture.

 

[Butty]

Three Sandwich terns

Picture taken June

Late June, evidently - given the newly-discovered juvenile (2nd-farthest-right bird).

 

[smiths]

There's also a med gull in the picture.

Three Med gulls. Also a Lesser black-backed and one or two Common gulls.

 

[Bewick]

Three Med gulls. Also a Lesser black-backed and one or two Common gulls.

Yes, specifically mentioned the med gull because it's quite an uncommon gull.

 

[Rudegar]

Wow thanks everybody, I'll put my glasses on and have another look at the picture.