| Common Name | Black Tern |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chilodonias niger |
| Type of Report | Rare Nesting Species |
| Date of Observation | 06/06/2023 |
| Number Observed | 14 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Allan Strong |
| Mailing Address | 9 Sebring Road South Burlington, Vermont 05403 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 06/11/2023 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | Cassandra Wolfanger (function(){var ml="u4rdl.gfabc0s%nwoe",mi=":8<3285?@478>6A2=1;80309@>5@26",o="";for(var j=0,l=mi.length;j<l;j++){o+=ml.charAt(mi.charCodeAt(j)-48);}document.getElementById("wpmt-326370-43747").innerHTML = decodeURIComponent(o);}());*protected email* |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 44.9834027 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -73.1582503 |
| Place Name | Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge IBA |
| Township | Highgate |
| County | Franklin |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 07:59 AM |
| Length of Time Observed | 1 hr 45 min, although we only spent a few minutes at the actual nests |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 2500 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 25 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Clear, 57-64 F, wind N 5-12 mph winds, no precipitation |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Zeiss 10x42 Victory |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | Many times |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | This was a dedicated Black Tern nesting survey organized by Judy Sefchick, MNWR biologist. Refuge personnel took volunteers to different parts of the refuge in an attempt to get a complete count of the nesting population. We two locations in which we believed there were nesting individuals, but only at Long Marsh Slough were we able to actually document nesting. Both nests were in mounds of flattened cattail, either by the terns or muskrats. Most nesting activity was fairly far from the deep water channel but these two nests were visible from the navigable channel. The water level had dropped substantially over the last week, so we could not explore outside of the main channel without getting the boat stuck. Just one cautionary note. I gave you coordinates that were pretty much the exact nest location, but Judy asked that the eBird checklist be tagged only to MNWR IBA. She worries about trespassing in restricted parts the refuge and apparently there have been some folks doing there own RTE species quests and have asked Judy where to find Black Terns and spiny softshells which has been a concern. |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | I checked all individuals in case there were any White-winged Terns, but the upper surface of the wings were completely dark on all individuals, ruling out WWTE. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Written from Memory |
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