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I arrived at the Lee Kay Ponds this morning at 8:30 a.m., to see
and hopefully to photograph the stray Least Tern that Bruce Robinson discovered
yesterday. I could not spot it in the main complex (with the gazebo) that
can be entered through the gate at the western end.
I then drove down the length of the next large pond to the west.
Again no luck. I turned around and was headed back when suddenly I spotted
it flying over this pond - yellow bill and white forehead easy to see. I
returned to the main complex to inform Milton Moody, who had just arrrived from
Provo with a lady whom he introduced as the Queen of Birders. (Sorry, I
didn't catch her name.)
Shortly thereafter, Bruce Robinson and Reed Stone arrived. We next
spotted the bird perched on a rocky bar, about 300 yards east of the
western end of the pond opposite an opening in the metal fence.. It stayed
for awhile, then flew off to fish at the western end of the pond (opposite the
yellow PAVEMENT ENDS sign). Then it returned to the rocky bar and remained
for at least a half hour.
The birders departed but I remained to photograph. The bird flew off
once again and vanished until Letitia Lussier appeared. As if on cue, we
spotted the bird flying at the western end of the pond again.
Another caravan of birders arrived, including Donna Thorum, daughter Mary,
Bob Bradley and Dave Hanscom. Everyone managed to see the
tern. Several times it landed on the beach at the western end, once with
two Forster's Terns that completely dwarfed it in size. The Least is only
9" long - slightly bigger than a Spotted Sandpiper!
Finally, I left at 12:30 p.m, having shot over 2 rolls of film,
sometimes using a 1700 mm telephoto. We shall see what comes out.
Jim McIntyre
P.S.
Apologies if I don't have everyone's name right.
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