I’ve recently enjoyed seeing terns more often than usual and this week’s post features a Fairy Tern and two Crested Terns.
Fairy Tern with fish
Watching Fairy Terns was pure delight as they flew quickly and gracefully across the sky. They are about 24cm bill to tail and weigh about 40g. They eat mainly fish which they catch after diving steeply from a height of between 3-10m. They swallow their catch head first, or carry it back to their nestlings as in the image above.
Crested Tern
The Crested Tern above had just bathed in the shallows and was returning to its rocky perch. The two white bands are waves breaking over the shallows and over rocks in the foreground.
Crested Tern
Crested Terns are about twice the size of Fairy Terns but are still remarkably graceful. Crested Terns are listed as Near Threatened in Victoria while Fairy Terns are Vulnerable – such a shame that we are impacting the well-being of our birds. People, vehicles and dogs can have a devastating impact on nesting colonies. I’m sure this sometimes happens without the people realising what they have done as nestlings are extremely well camouflaged.
I’d like to remind readers that my images are available free of charge for conservation purposes.
Happy birding, Kim
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They are so beautiful!!
They really are magical 🙂
I love this blog! Your photography is superb – what talent and dedication!
Thank you Julienne, I’ve been super busy and your comment is much appreciated, Kim
Kim:
Very impressive images. Photographying terns in flight is a real challenge! Does the beak of the Fairy and Crested Terns stay solid yellow during all stages of development? Just curious because the beak of some of the terns in North America have rather dramatic changes in color.
Your question had me reaching for my field guides. Juvenile Fairy Terns have dark bills, non-breeding birds have bills that are dark on the base and at the tip. The bright yellow bill of the fairy above is a feature of breeding birds – I wish I’d added that to the original text!
According to Pizzey and Knight Crested Tern have a ‘greenish straw’ bill as juveniles becoming more yellowish as they mature.
Thanks for your interesting question Dave, I’ll google North American terns as soon as I can.
Oh addendum to previous comment – we also learnt of the speckled nature of the crest of which we were unaware.
Cheers
🙂
Hello Kim,
Angus and I enjoyed your photos of these beautifully elegant birds. You have captured the delicacy of the flight feather angles superbly.
Wonderful way to start the day reminding us of the beauty in our world.
Thankyou,
Alison
I appreciate your comment Alison, it makes it worth the horse fly bites to be able to share the beauty
Love these photos. Particularly the first one where you can see the expanse of sea and sky it is flying through.
Thank you for your comment Susan. What you have mentioned is what I most loved watching, I’m glad you like it too.
How very, very beautiful.
I notice (I think) the Crested Tern in the last image is banded. I so hope that we learn enough to move them away from their Near Threatened status. Sometimes I am ashamed of our species. Often I am ashamed of our species.
It’s a shame that the focus is so often financial rather than intrinsic, without realising that we rely on our environment for everything, that we are part of our environment. It’s odd, especially when it’s obvious to so many of us.
Your images are stunning – action and black and white birds – I’m totally impressed and they definitely do look like they’d be wonderful to watch!
Thank you Sherry 🙂
Great BIF’s! Canon 5D MkIII? Can I ask what lens you were using (currently negotiating a price, so impressed with the resolution)
Hi Pauli, 5DIII and 7DII and different lenses. Which are you looking at? – if you haven’t bought it already that is, and congratulations if you have! Please email kim@lirralirra.com as I’d be happy to talk with you about lenses.