Whenever I run across a rare or unusual bird and can't get a photo, I usually do a quick sketch with notes on a 3x5 card. We had this small tern at first with a group of 3 Common Terns and its size, wing and body movement was very similar to these small birds. Shortly thereafter we had the bird flying with an adult Sooty Tern and the size, gizz and coloration differences were readily seen. The Bridled weighs 3.5 oz. where a Sooty weighs 6 oz., the Bridled has the same wing span as a Common Tern but weighs 7/10 oz less, this gives it a more bouncy flight than the Sooty Tern and this feature first caught my eye.

Here are the notes we put on the card; we discussed all these features and more as we had the bird in view. Reading from top to bottom:

7/11/05 Pickwick Dam, TN - Bruton Branch - Bridled Tern - Very black cap contrast with gray/brown back - Nape paler than back - Much white (seen) in tail - Wing darker than back - Very white front to wing w/ dark contrast (upper) lesser covert(s) - Base of primaries (underwing) white - compared to 14 Sooty Terns- Smaller than Sooty - Brown Gray - (signed) J. R. Wilson, Mike Todd