Tern Me On: Discovering A Least Tern in Utah

When I was a little scout in Kentucky we talked about and tried to live by the motto "do a good turn daily". When you are a birder in Utah and you are talking about a Least Tern, you may be lucky to do one or two in a lifetime.

I was working away in my Salt Lake City office Monday when reports of rare birds started popping into my inbox. Spring migration was kicking into high gear. I wanted so much to chase some of those rare birds, but I stuck to the task at hand and finished my day's work. On the way home I decided to drop by a very small pond to see if the Hooded Merganser I spotted there Saturday might still be present. I found a Snowy Egret and a Common Merganser along with a Western Kingbird that had just arrived from its more southern origins. Just as I was about to walk away from the pond I saw a REALLY small tern, not much larger than the nearby Barn Swallows, hovering over the pond. I looked through the binoculars and saw a yellow bill with a white forehead. "That is way too small for a more-likely Forster's Tern! I think that is a Least Tern!" That thought came into my mind because I had seen a few Least Terns on one occasion two summers ago in Mexico.

Wanting to document the sighting, I ran across a busy four-lane boulevard to retrieve my camera from the car on the other side of the road.  A storm was rolling in and light conditions were horrible for photography, especially for trying to capture a swiftly moving, small dot of a tern against a large gray sky. I managed to release the shutter several times before the bird flew northward and out of sight. I wondered if it might be going to another pond about a mile north. I got back into my car and checked the field marks against my Sibley app. White forehead, yellow bill, two dark primary feathers, short forked tail, etc. Every mark confirmed my initial impression. I immediately emailed the sighting and location to the rare bird listservs for Utah to get all hands on deck. There are lots of great birding eyes in Utah. Needless to say, that message created quite the stir. Especially when I shared the following photo later that night with the same listservs.

Least Tern Discovered May 6, 2013 by Jeff Cooper in Lehi, UT

The typical range for Least Terns this time of year is more along the eastern, south, and southwest coasts, as well as the mid-western states along the Mississippi River. It seems that this little bird is at "least" 700 miles from the nearest expected locations.

Today, Tuesday, I was busy at work again when local birders were scouring nearby bodies of water in search of the tern. Fortunately for who-knows-how-many birders, the tern was discovered a mile north on a pond which locals have named Powell Lake. Being from Kentucky, it looks more like a pond than a lake. Anyway, the bird was giving great looks to everyone who went to see it. I dropped by the pond, sorry, lake tonight after work and found the lighting unfavorable again, but it was better than last night. Here are some of the photos captured tonight.

Least Tern Hunting Over Powell Lake in Lehi, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Least Tern Hunting Over Powell Lake in Lehi, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Least Tern Hunting Over Powell Lake in Lehi, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Least Tern Hunting Over Powell Lake in Lehi, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Least Tern Hunting Over Powell Lake in Lehi, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Least Tern Hunting Over Powell Lake in Lehi, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Least Tern Hunting Over Powell Lake in Lehi, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Least Tern Hunting Over Powell Lake in Lehi, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Least Tern Resting on Powell Lake in Lehi, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)

Last, but not least, and just to add some color to this post, I'll share the cool little bird seemingly sneaking a peek at a nice looking American Avocet that happened to be passing by. I believe the peep, the real one to the right not to be confused with the "peeping" tern, is a Least Sandpiper. Least, least, least.

Least Tern Sneaking a Peek at an American Avocet on Powell Lake in Lehi, UT (Photo by Jeff Cooper)