Whiskered Tern: The bird we *didn't* see. - Photo by Mike Crewe (Programs Director, Cape May Bird Observatory, Cape May, NJ)

First, the credits: thanks to Mike Crewe for allowing his work to be shown here.
If you'd like to see more photos of this bird they can be found on his post at "View From the Cape":
http://cmboviewfromthecape.blogspot.com/2014/09/whiskered-tern.html
(you know the drill: 1) cut and paste link, 2) cry me a river)
Cape May B.O. is affiliated with NJ Audubon.
If you're interested to see this internationally known migration birding spot yourself,
here's a link to get you started:
http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionCapeMayBirdObservatory/CMBOHome.aspx

Second, this Whiskered Tern isn't in full bloom. As best as I can find out from various sources on the web, it's either molting or not quite yet an adult, or, who knows, maybe both. If you want to see a Whiskered Tern in adult plumage then Google is your friend.

Third, the bird was spotted for 10 days and, lucky for us, the day we were down, Sat. the 20th, was the last day the bird was sighted. Even if we can't say with certainty that we saw the bird, it was an exciting day to be there; to empathize with the disappointments as experts, non-experts, and seasoned chasers alternated between the hawk watch and other points in Cape May, and then later in the afternoon, vicariously thrill along with those who voiced their triumph.

p.s. - In case, like me, you were wondering why "whiskered" Tern, it turns out when the adult is in breeding plumage it has a white patch (they call it a "stripe") running across the cheek, a bit smaller than the one in the above image. - - - - Hey, I'm not the one that named it.