Royal rarity

#68-69 - BlipBigYear 2014

This little beauty has been causing quite a stir around these parts. It's the first confirmed county record of a Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus), a species usually found around the Gulf of Mexico. It was first sighted two weeks ago along the eastern edge of Humboldt Bay, where it was seen by many, but only for a couple hours before it disappeared to the north. I tried hopefully for a couple days to find it in the same spot, but no luck. It was assumed to be gone for good--as is all too typical with weird spring migrants--but then! It was re-found to the north a week later, at the mouth of the Mad River! Still more flocked to see the bird, including myself, but alas I was among the few who attempted and failed. I had planned to try once more when a call came in on the rare bird hotline: the tern had turned around and was now on the south spit of Humboldt Bay! Re-found again! What a drama. Having tried over ten times to see the bird, I drove with cautious enthusiasm for the distant south spit, hoping against hope I would lay my eyes upon it. You'll never guess who was loafing with the California Gulls when I arrived.