Common Tern In Breeding Plumage

Friday, May 16, 2008

Well, almost. On May 9th I posted a photo of some Common Terns who were not yet wearing their breeding plumage. This tern is sporting his all black skullcap and he’s just about ready for some action. The black on his bill will retreat till it only covers the tip. This is another one of the shots from Wednesday’s outing. If you take a close look at his leg you will see that he is banded. No, that is not an ankle bracelet. Last year I noticed several of these terns that were banded. How do you catch a tern? Most times I can barely follow them with the camera. JK

Common Terns

Friday, May 9, 2008

It’s a dark and rainy day out there today so I’ll do another post. These Common Terns were enjoying the sun on a floating dock off San Remo. In a few weeks the tops of their heads will become all black as they slip into their breeding attire. They look cool either way. I love to watch these acrobatic birds. I’ve seen them share (maybe steal) food in midair and later in the season I’ll get to watch them bring whole fish to their older chicks. At the end of last July I was lucky enough to get several shots of them doing just that. JK

Correction: These birds are not Common Terns. They are Least Terns. Go here for the whole sordid story. I apologize for any inconvenience my incompetence may have caused. JK