cgeoff

You may be interested to learn that on 20th July we saw 20 Chinese Crested Terns at the Taiwanese breeding island, where this unfortunate bird was first noted. This total comprised 17 ads and 3 juvs, and is the highest ever count of the species.

The distance between the breeding island and the area where these birds are seen on the Mainland appears to be about 30-35km. The sighting of this bird with something on its bill confirms what we all assumed, that the same individuals are involved.

Geoff

[ Last edited by cgeoff at 23/07/2008 10:58 ]

cgeoff

Anybody considering trapping this bird should be very careful about landing on the island, as this will cause massive disturbance and might lead to colony abandonment (as might have happened recently in HK when fishermen landed on an island). I find it difficult to see how this bird could be trapped at or near the breeding colony.

The best option for catching this bird is likely to be on the Mainland, on the sand flats near Fuzhou. As the bird weakens, assuming it does, over the next few days it will need to find somewhere it can rest permanently, on land. If this is at the beach near Fuzhou, it might be possible to walk up to it and pick it up, take the item off and rehabilitate it with water and food over a couple of days.

However, this would require patience, people out looking for the bird and a lot of luck!

Geoff

[ Last edited by cgeoff at 23/07/2008 11:28 ]