Common Tern in Northampton

Common Tern, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, June 4, 2013

Common Tern, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, June 4, 2013

Common Tern, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, June 4, 2013

Common Tern, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, June 4, 2013

Common Tern, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, June 4, 2013

Common Tern, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, June 4, 2013

Common Tern, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, June 4, 2013

Common Tern (proving its digestive system is working fine!), Oxbow, Northampton, MA, June 4, 2013

Common Tern, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, June 4, 2013

Double crested Cormorant, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, June 4, 2013

With the sunny conditions today with a northerly breeze I was not expecting to have anything new show up around the area but I was wrong.  I stopped briefly on my way to work at Winsor Dam but there was not much around so I headed off to work.  As I was about to have lunch I got a call from Tom about a tern (either a Forester’s Tern or Common Tern) down on a small sandbar at the oxbow in Northampton.  The timing was perfect as it was the only part of the day I could get away from work using a little time off to go down and check the bird out.  The bird was found earlier today by another birder but I do not recall the name.  When I arrived at the oxbow Tom was still there and the bird was sitting tight on the small sandbar despite the boat traffic.  We got good looks at the bird and noted the reddish orange bill with black tip, wings projecting longer than the tail and grayish wings matching closely with gray body pointing toward the identification as a Common Tern.  We tried to turn it into something even more unusual but we just couldn't.  I have been trying to catch up with any tern species this year and with some help I finally got one!  The Common Tern becomes species #211 for Hampshire county this year.  This is only my second sighting of this species in Hampshire county(the last time was during Irene when I had two at Winsor Dam)  My only other western Mass record goes back to 2003 when I had one at Turners Falls.  A rare bird around here for sure!  In addition to the tern a couple of Double crested Cormorants were present as well as a good number of Tree and Bank Swallows feeding over the water.  The bird was still present when I left and seemed to be quite comfortable on its little sandbar. 

The next few days should stay sunny and pleasant but the conditions may change as the end of the week approaches.  A potential nor’easter could impact the area as some tropical moisture comes out of the Gulf of Mexico and develops into a storm off the east coast late Thursday into Saturday.  Although it is getting later in the spring migration season the potential is still there for some birds to result from the storm such as terns and/or shorebirds (or something more exotic).  I will update this potential storm as the week goes on.  It may not even impact the area and if it does it may not result in any noteworthy birds but I will certainly be out checking (and getting completely soaked in the process I’m sure!)