Common Tern - Johnson County

[Linda Rudolph]

This morning Laura Harwood, Linda Quinn and I kayaked by Bobbers Grill.  There was a tern roosting with the gulls and I thought it was a Forester's Tern.  It flew very quickly, but I managed to grab a few photos before it took off.  I edited them just a little while ago and I could see a dark carpal bar.  That immediately made me think it might be a Common Tern.  I reviewed Sibley's and I noticed that our bird seemed to have the same type of scalloping that is shown as a worn juvenile in Sibley's.  I sent the photo to Mark Brown, who kindly confirmed that it was indeed a Common Gull.

Linda Rudolph

Coralville