Ultimate grace

Terns are exquisitely graceful, when I’m watching them I feel as though their aerial dances should be accompanied by classical music.

 

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias Hybrida)
1/2500, f/10, ISO 1600

 

A small group of these terns were foraging over one of the Western Lagoon ponds at Werribee’s Western Treatment Plant. They were catching insects on the wing and also skimming for insects and shallow diving into the water for small fish.

These images show Whiskered Terns in breeding plumage; they have black crowns, white cheeks, white sides to their necks, deep red bills and legs while their underparts are slate grey.

 

 

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias Hybrida)
1/3200, f/10, ISO 1600

 

Whiskered Terns are quite small, measuring about 24cm and weighing about 80g. They are stocky and their bills are stout which, along with other features, helps to identify them from similar terns.

 

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias Hybrida)
1/3200, f/10, ISO 1600

 

Another helpful identifier is their slightly forked tail, as shown in the image above. In the other shots the birds’ tails are more fanned. I especially like the backgrounds to these images as they are beautifully blurred while still showing enough detail to give context of the water, reeds and grasses.

I shoot manually so am constantly checking my exposure and shutter speed. Shooting black and white birds can be tricky and I wanted to ensure that the depth of field was sufficient to cover the species wingspan, which is about 65-70cm. They fly so swiftly that I used shutter speeds of up to one thirty-two-thousandth of a second – camera technology is truly amazing!

Happy birding

Kim

 

PS the lirralirra exhibition has been extended until the end of February at The Chosen Bean, Mountain Gate, Ferntree Gully – new images now on display

 

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