CLOSED: Seabirds

Hi, I've just come back from an exciting day birding on Bolivar & High Island on the Texas Gulf Coast. It's an area famous for vast numbers of spring migratory birds. I always have to bring a camera so I can get help with ID's later, especially with seabirds!


In photo 1, this brown seabird needs a name.

In photo 2, this group of terns all look like the same type except the slightly larger one w/ the brighter orange beak (and he lacks the black beak tip the others have)

In photo 3, another tern, not sure if the same as one of the ones in photo 2.

Thanks! Stay tuned, will have many more for you later as I continue editing the batch.....

#1 I'd guess a Dunlin, though not 100% certain without more pics.

#2-3 are all Least Terns, they vary a bit in size (males slightly larger than females) and amount of black on the bill tip.

Resin

Thanks! I did see several dunlin in the area, so you are probably right. Now that you mention it, I can see his dark feathers starting to come in on the chest. And thanks for the heads up on the least terns, I didn't realize the size difference between sexes. There was a huuuuuuuuge flock of them, and every now and then they would suddenly all get up and fly around calling to each other before settling down in a different spot. It was beautiful.

Here is the next photo in that series which shows a group of what looks to be the same brown bird (dunlin)

Yep, they're all Dunlin (apart from the Least Terns and the Laughing Gull!)

Resin