Appreciation at last

A few days ago, the 4th August to be precise, I spotted this chap chilling out on the mud at Spud Point, Bodega Bay, California. Always on the lookout for colour rings, I was nicely pumped when I was able to get close enough to record the details and take the photo below.

5cy Caspian Tern Bodega Bay, California  4th August 2012

I got amongst it and submitted the report to the USGS, and within a couple of days got notification that this individual had been ringed as a nestling in San Francisco Bay in 2008. Not exactly earth shattering news, but I'm not used to getting a 'certificate of appreciation' for my efforts!

Guess it's better than the usual response I get (or at least what the ringers are probably thinking) which is something along the lines of 'thanks for your skanky gull report that was ringed on a freezing cold, stinking pile of shite last February. It has only travelled a few miles up the Thames so it really is of no interest whatsoever to you, nor us for that matter'. Perhaps us Brits have a lot to learn from the US. Then again, I quite like those no frills emails to be honest...