Early Royal Tern, Lessback; Red-necked Grebe Resurfaces

A Royal Tern dropped in with some gulls roosting on Stone Harbor Point this evening, possibly a record early bird. The earliest record I can find easily is the one Michael O'Brien had last year on March 29 (thanks, eBird!); the early date in Sibley's Birds of Cape May is March 30.

Among the gulls was a 2nd cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull, mixed in with a flock of Laughing Gulls. 300 or more Laughers were in the vicinity of Hereford Inlet tonight, viewed from the North Wildwood sea wall.

A quick check of Great Channel, the water body flowing under the free bridge from Stone Harbor to Nummy Island, yielded a/the Red-necked Grebe.

[Red-necked Grebe, from the base of the free bridge to Nummy Island around 5:45 this evening. Click to enlarge.]