Ok, did anyone else see this Tern at Chapel Point last week. I was there on Monday 25th - the Audouin's Gull was NOT!
However, this bird was quite interesting, not only because it had a single red Colour ring. Any thoughts welcome.....
and
If you look at http://www.cr-birding.be/ you will see the following......
In June 2001 a Lesser Crested Tern (female) and a Sandwich Tern (male) were ringed in the Banc d'Arguin nature reserve in France [44°35' N / 1°15' W]. The hybrid chick of the pair was also ringed in July 2001.
Since 2001 we study hybridization between sandwich tern and orange billed tern on the Natural Reserve of Banc d’Arguin-Gironde-France. Are ringed the breeding orange billed terns, the sandwich terns of the mixed couples and hybrid chicks.
- 2001: 1 colour-ring on the left leg (red or yellow), 1 metal ring on the right leg.
- 2002: no birds ringed.
- since 2003: new ringing code:
o left leg (exceptionally on the right) : 2 colour-rings on the tarsus.
o Right leg (exceptionally on the left) : 1 metal ring on the tibia, 1 white ring on the tarsus.
Ringed birds - in 2001: 1 lesser crested, 1 sandwich tern, 1 hybrid ; in 2003 : 1 unidentified orange billed tern, 2 sandwich terns, 1 hybrid chick ; in 2004 : 1 hybrid chick.
note: one of the objectives of this study is the identification of the hybrids, it is thus very significant that the observers of ringed birds make the most precise possible description and if possible pictures.
Julien Gernigon, Réserve Naturelle du Banc d'Arguin, Chemin du Petit Bordes, FR-33260 La Teste de Buch, France.