John,
   My database shows about a half dozen reports of Royal Tern in DC, only one of them in spring. This is the normal early arrival time for Caspian Terns in the area.
--
Bob Ringler
Eldersburg MD


---- John Sherwood <> wrote: 
> Along with 71 DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANTS, several GREAT BLACK BACKED GULLS, and numerous RING-BILLED GULLS, I noted a TERN on the empty pier on the left side of the Barry (DD 933) at the Washington Navy Yard. The tern was basking in the afternoon sun with the other birds and not in flight. It had a large coral red bill and was quite large. I think it was CASPIAN TERN, but I am leaving just a little room for doubt because ROYAL TERNS have red bills during this time and are quite similar in size as CASPIANS. However, sightings of CASPIANS in DC are more common than ROYALs. A search of E-BIRD reveals more CASPIAN sightings than ROYAL sightings in DC. Any thoughts from long-term metro area birders
>    
>   John Sherwood
>   Washington, DC