Lifer 136 - Black Tern

Black Tern - Chlidonias niger

What a year 2018 is turning out to be! I recorded my fifth lifer for the year a Black Tern - Chlidonias niger at Pile Bay, St. Michael.  This bird was first seen by Dr.  John Webster and a positive identification was made by local guru Ed Massiah.   This bird, an adult in breeding plumage, had a black head, breast, bill and feet while wings and back were dark grey.

The first Black tern was recorded in Barbados in September 1935 with the last one recorded in October 2008.  That’s a period of almost 10 years to this one.

This bird effectively put me into second place for the most birds seen on the island, according to ebird.com, second only to Ed Massiah who leads the island with 191 species seen.  My next target will be 150 species.

This year surprised me with 5 new species even before the fall migration got off the ground.  I would still like to see at least two more lifers before year end.  Good birds, good birding, good fun. Happy birding ya’ll.

More Images