Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Least Tern
Scientific name:	[Sternula antillarum
Date:	6/04/24
Time:	11:05-11:20
Length of time observed:	~15 min
Number:	1
Age:	unknown
Sex:	unknown
Location:	Sand Hollow Reservoir near boat launch
County:	Washington
Latilong:
Elevation:	~2800 ft
Distance to bird:	~60-100+ yards
Optical equipment:	Swarovski 42x8.5 + Nikon 20x zoom
Weather:	Clear, 80-some degrees, moderately strong wind had kicked up in last half-hour
Light Conditions:	Bright sunshine mostly above and in front of me.
Description: Size of bird:	Smaller than Forster s Tern, similar to Black Tern.
(Description:) Basic Shape:	tern
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	Mostly white with pale gray mantle/upper wing with dark leading edge, black cap.
(Description:) Bill Type:	Longish, dagger-shaped pointy tern bill
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	Small size similar to Black Tern. Smaller than Forster s Tern, lacking the long tail plumes, and even more agile. Besides size I focused on bill: obviously bright yellow with dark tip.
Song or call & method of delivery:	silent
Behavior:	Resting on rock jutting out into water. Foraging like tern: Working a semi-sheltered cove, circling and dipping and diving (but don t recall it plunge-diving); seemed to prefer to fly against the wind, and laboring pretty hard at it. It apparently never ventured far from this spot, though I did lose track of it when I ran back to my car to get my cell phone just in case and my zoom binocs.
Habitat:	Semi-sheltered shallow cove of Sand Hollow Reservoir somewhat protected by a large rock island.
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Forster s Tern was the only serious contender. The smaller size, more agile flight, lack of long tail plumes, and ESPECIALLY the obviously yellow bill distinguished this bird.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	Minimal experience: Colony on Florida Panhandle 2010. A distant view off New London, CT. I ve been watching Forster s Terns all spring at Sand Hollow. I see Forster s, Elegant, Royal and Caspian annually in San Diego.
References consulted:	None at all. I had familiarized myself beforehand with the key cues: small size and yellow bill.
Description from:	From memory
Observer:	Paul Hicks
Observer's address:	1630 E 2450 So #26, St George 84790
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	None, though I texted our Greater Zion rare bird group including Cindy and Steve Sommerfeld who were still back at the Laughing Gull site. They soon showed up but I didn t stick around to see if they found it.
Date prepared:	6/04/24
Additional material:
Additional comments:	My target bird today was Least Tern based on eBird bar graphs -- otherwise I might have stayed home since the action at Sand Hollow has slowed considerably in the last week or 10 days. So I was on the lookout, but only saw 1-2 Forster s and 1 Caspian all morning on the east and south side of SHR. To be thorough I reluctantly checked the boat launch area before calling it a day. I saw nothing from the near side of the boat launch but from the next cove over I looked back and saw something resting on a rock jutting out about 60-80 yards from shore on the other side of the boat launch, out from the bathrooms. It was so small I thought it was a Rock Wren (no, they don t sit still that long); then Say s Phoebe; then as I approached I realized it was a tiny tern! I was truly surprised. The light wasn t great but I was pretty sure I could see a yellow bill. At one point it got displaced by a grackle. Shortly I re-found it in flight, working the semi-sheltered shallow cove between the big rock island and the rocks jutting out from the near shore. I focused almost entirely on seeing the diagnostic bill color. I confirmed this several times, particularly one clear profile view in flight against the red rock island when I could also see a dark tip. I am 100% certain of the ID.