Date: 6/27/25 3:54 pm From: JD Bergeron via groups.io <bergeronjd...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Nesting ELEGANT TERNS on the Richmond Breakwater
Hi Tony,
Thank you for sharing your observations.
When you see Elegant Terns, please look for red or orange leg bands.
International Bird Rescue conducted a large-scale rescue operation in
summer 2021, and over 3,000 Elegant Tern chicks passed through our hands.
We are eager for reports on this cohort.
Thanks,
JD
On Fri, Jun 27, 2025 at 12:36 <tonybrake...> via groups.io
<tonybrake...> wrote:
> [Edited Message Follows]
>
> Since April, we had been noticing the early arrival of ELEGANT TERNS
> along the Richmond channel breakwater along with the CASPIAN TERNS that
> usually nest, which we can observe from our home. In recent years ELEGANT
> TERNS have arrived at later date (June-July?) presumably post-breeding. On
> 8May we rode the Richmond-SF ferry and I took photographs along the
> breakwater in order to get a better look and make an estimated count.
>
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S239003744 > It seemed quite likely that many were in an incubation posture, presumably
> on eggs. Ethan Monk told me that this would be the first nesting record for
> Contra Costa County, so I conservatively recorded them as “Occupied Nest”
>
> Yesterday, 26June, we gain rode the ferry along the breakwater and this
> time saw many juvenile ELEGANT TERNS, as well as juvenile CASPIAN TERNS. I
> made a rough estimate of about 3,000 ELEGANT TERNS. This is likely an under
> count since the birds were densely packed especially in/around the creche
> of juveniles. Also many terns were flying to and fro. Here is a checklist
> of these and other species.
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S254165210 >
> I have attached a few photos that give an idea of the scene.
> --
> Tony Brake
> Point Richmond
>
>
>
>
