On Sunday, 08-29-04, a juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger was found above Kentucky Dam, for KY's 1st state record. Hap Chambers 1st spotted the bird, along with Robert Dever and Nicole Rannali. The bird has since treated several birders from KY and elsewhere to nice views.
I made it up on Monday, and got nice views both from one of the pullouts on the Dam, and also from a rented boat. None of my photos are good, but show several of the features of the bird. A rocking John Boat wasn't much of a platform for photography with a Coolpix and a 5X extender!
You'll notice in these photos that the bird can appear to differ in both structure and plumage from shot to shot, depending on lighting and angle. Some shots may suggest points for a Jaeger other than Long-tailed, and such is the joy of Jaeger ID! In the field, with decent looks, all indications point to it being a Long-tailed.
