![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3Bu7MUrijHA5vJXpwgMHq7RAmNYJTIsYrAfVfwQpyq1h0UhWlROg1OIDYsEuYKryHa9HErhzVq-6F9vo9U2xZhK2SkBRQM5oUPLMxOeLYp_ThFKle1OG1_O2o1ir9ZQQ1ftasQ/s400/Bridled+Tern_JE+IMG_5701.jpg)
At times, Bridled Terns were the most numerous species. This superb photo is by James Eaton.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRpeteSHMEEtKMs3m40Xw4onBIe09gjun07CUcCyRfYfZZe5lw0FRDFSfheNvWdiWesnvwBjH9O-7yhZZwdEYoZ3PyeQIA_XZdU_oRuY4nh_AS8IVShx3tkuR9HN9XgdShWy3Vg/s400/Common+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9755.jpg)
Common Terns were the other numerous species - this is the rarer, red-billed 'tibetana' race.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKgsl81vfMEAAfmdaOBBD11OtrIEoBt_4HS49FKbm07VIzl3zV2ICfmloFXjWSgpzuDcOJap2LeIudkn5937ykLQ8n_Np09ZQlpIr-vP56apYUsF-96s_Bu2R9v_63BEVE9gcqQ/s400/White-winged+Tern+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9890.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ua1-RahJfCubvavCpDj7VPqtu_mRv2HppKWFFZrvSn5Qdxj-RH0NewRGlciNr_bh1dw4J6Q7rKCjghmtlAeG7U0S3wCw7AQLTWDYP162RyP9nBQCVFzxJUYz50KeQvV7m4a7yQ/s400/White-winged+Tern+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9900.jpg)
There were a few White-winged about - these were taken at last light late in the day. A couple of flocks of Whiskered Terns flew north in high, close-knit flocks, but didn't linger.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XxooZ6uj7S_r7jXDizBPkIr1HOjAqc6k-LTzeEGm6gXcW3TBppp6hcXac1J6zURKr3AXeoJdgYJXo7o_9oMaYB7ZrwzS2jgUlKQI9SSebdS03t3ScVLJou3GmN7xi9IRkRN-MQ/s400/Aleutian+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9406.jpg)
The first 'good' tern of the day was this typically solitary Aleutian.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xn16dY3jw4ts5eG1G6gcs3mriZ-eqA4aKSM0CYGVX6ws2dkb4j8J1bA4i_fsbsvPZBGiOSRHrVxPiZrQYiumO0ZqZyJcCbmngGB7atqWtRGSmy9AyMxUq9beMj4k0XtWtZKHEw/s400/Aleutian+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9410.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe46DWrSs5YfelN9vsRHXl9LOZ-8_v-H0n6b2kRw7zciAxgFOs3CyrgSCdW-LmxEiTjLRiVgLbjFdDb4dg2VoG4sc2Rn7gYtBn-cvRtp3KxkksnuMi3ibf5gl-NI15empyAm7BCA/s400/Aleutian+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9411.jpg)
Although it never came close, it did at least remain in view for longer than the usual brief fly-over, enabling us all to get prolonged views of this stunner.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHVAPljALOGb-k4WV5PVmu2wHYyEpnv9CVlrfPj0mG5YzOo11xwSdInj8zI6acnmALVru9iORvSUGkTMcJEFWl-nLWn8JY2uZnwOvuVsHx3mmslb3ip-F-bDiXX3Xu1dbQ3o-aw/s400/Aleutian+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9413.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_iZPzrGNlfN-ob4bG7ijgrukxHjKP74rK7EEemueELwNWu95MjZfZhUAX5rGTynKlX1ij1FhWGcudN5TX9mHAOg3ZxfNeEW0OPUjT1sMfR6njxSj1utdiX_XR55o29kYggpBKQ/s400/Aleutian+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9417.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3u-d2JwQOWJ5cRqLuyV1H6DrwqFl2FCUB7LchhxBOZQA8B4mpo-pfcVD8haB2U4KPHzcV4DSNBBnXnLrMgLWXkpt_Ng8p67wiv6n-PsSX6ZdtAtcALvmTed4bCeKqKXarkxtVsA/s400/Aleutian+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9427.jpg)
There's something very distinctive about the short-necked, long-winged jizz of this species.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmmmU8Q04lDFk966HIzWaqCQ9nc2rQvuCrCpIEkz-pZB9gRPDOqBC7ZDRqb-EsnoyVS7aeg9dkzTCxhyphenhyphenmSyt5NYPelo7d7zpapDfktgitp6jj0DeK9iA2scF3h5hj0u9aKCgul4Q/s400/Sooty+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9545.jpg)
They say one good 'tern' deserves another, and it wasn't long before we had this juv Sooty Tern flying around the boat. Unfortunately, it was rarely in good light.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU50_E6fTTtRsMTzRjhRsyQkuPjqx5PAi5F0WpzlOzNwK3Tt9xGMnz9OfD7dOFXf_siSS8snFjTieMJ2D_jepwTW7FidzcqAophYaq2aW5dQ6EFHWOPU6WihnqfvHjyyfVLRBugw/s400/Sooty+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9565.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdMyXLTnFrLqQVrAqteNgXfl1ZU4A5X91KRYzuy42cWtGHhsiW7SFlQEnAIAhWS4aTP_oI9TUGovpQnViumEQEKa8iYunYZEBp9676EtIjvUuSRufRhk2RjS8JXuhl6_-bxaKJQ/s400/Sooty+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9570.jpg)
Another bird with a very distinctive shape - looking like a gigantic 'marsh' tern, and often flying with the body angled downwards towards the front.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7Q6Pg3Wy7prRX-peGAlkTahIEUvs72Gwf9i_T4Eol4lahW_IoKAMY5Ptb7LDOXUw7U9cLNGAhO9hnhnyi1rkIIMD_X8c6g5D24Y1nXIyWKfUgyZaYhki4ti5UcNUswK-6eNk8Q/s400/Sooty+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9582.jpg)
They seem to do this a lot too!
James had a brief view of an adult, but it didn't hang around, sadly. Last year, Sootys started showing up in early June, but perhaps they're early this year, like the shearwaters.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfY8G7IPKeOqJff13yBP-SpaKnbEGQB07IwhsPRQhxDGpXG8gg8FceXBdM4oovbGVTV1WdKBS415k6YofHPSnENhVrXAkHeWwTl6jg52jXJOSOeylY6TlsYsCf16uoLMLDzno88g/s400/Sooty+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9847.jpg)
Near dusk we saw the juvenile again, not close, but easily 'pickable' by its odd shape.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsGyoRaGIxkELokB4imJFA_7Latya9tdYeD3LaEhhP24MVNWjNiNLMrPbgMpdrTCbwsOz5XvuI40-LN7iqzbpyqlTx9aaB8ZOI58Ba9J09qpAIFXqdQl1Qk0qvstFfU58WqK_CA/s400/Peter_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_3674.jpg)
Peter scanning for petrels! One of the crew reported seeing a very small all-dark bird dancing over the surface of the water the previous day, which sounded very like a petrel. I've been hoping for a Swinhoe's this month, but no joy yet!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SmKpF59u90J4l70sMwYECGpGn8sb7c0WgCDkJqg32XxpwetMYIGlot62dYE4c3xjzKN9pkd2ZAncSp3EsM1wxG5pWyWjqQcpLDsruzHQCOPfv14Q-slny9D98iaY3IoJOWoj9g/s400/Roseate+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9748.jpg)
The eighth tern of the day (we also had Black-naped) was this stunning adult breeding Roseate.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDa9WVPZCucOJADcdp1LXSa8A_RjVIgTpxJGhLNqU7tcFEniiRX3eIyQVKzZMMnyeWKv8ml6FklAsMjieoIAclUoC2EcIVRJFwSzrzR578XbFLI5nndyKtI5uXC_ulayIMtlYtPA/s400/Roseate-Tern_JE.jpg)
This is James's version!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PCV6ADxHSCwQP2L1P_AxLIEJUoiNyO5hZF3pWL0T2N7-VSVcE5f2byL-osrKyGl9HdaBw-lW90OP5hqYsHK0bi_JYY7V67bbeEX0GqMjo5stXMEorPbd4Y6GA4XW9vichUr-oA/s400/Roseate+Tern_Tg+Dawai_040511_IMG_9831.jpg)
Like the juv Sooty, this bird appeared again at dusk, following the boat. Its pale plumage contrasted with a much darker Common Tern (right).
No Little or either of the crested terns today, so I reckon a ten-tern day is definitely possible! Still, we were very happy with having had a superb spread of birds and many close range views. May seems to be THE month for pelagic birding off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia!
2 comments:
What a nice trip with so many beautiful in flight birds
Nice to see clear shots of some of the terns we get in Hong Kong too.
A "Ten Tern" pelagic - you're bound to get such a day sooner or later !! Good luck.
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