The Frosty Tern - An Appreciation of a Good Looker

I was birding in Cape May County, New Jersey for the last week of October 2016. One of the species I enjoyed coming from a Newfoundland point of view was winter plumage Forster's Terns. The adults had clean frosty white uppers parts and a sharp black eye patch.  The young of the year had shorter tails, dusky markings in upper wing coverts and more fine speckling on the crown but the same black eye patch.  The Forster's Tern in breeding plumage resembles a Common Tern in appearance. In winter it becomes a much different looking bird.  They recall a small gull in appearance and even in some of their manners of feeding over the surf. 

Below are a bunch of Forster's Tern photos from New Jersey that were in danger of lying buried and never seeing the light of day along with myriads of other digital files on the HDs. 

First winter

First winter

First winter

With an adult Bonaparte's Gull