Common Tern (f)
Common Tern / sterna hirundo. Straws Bridge, Derbyshire. 26/06/21.
Last year the local Common Terns got ousted from their usual (tern) nesting raft by gulls and a resilient Muscovy Duck. However, one pair made do with a small dilapidated duck platform, laying three eggs on a bed of guano. Their exposed nest attracted the attention of corvids, plus various ducks/geese persisted in perching on the platform to preen.
So, life wasn't easy for the terns. Before long I noticed a broken egg near a sitting adult and assumed a crow was the culprit. The egg sac with embryo intact was left though, so I couldn't be sure. It's possible the egg had been trampled by visiting waterfowl I suppose.
This shot was made after the two remaining eggs had hatched. The female was incubating her youngest chick, whilst the eldest went walkabout.
The elephant in the room lies to the right hand side of the image ...
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Common Tern (f)
Common Tern / sterna hirundo. Straws Bridge, Derbyshire. 26/06/21.
Last year the local Common Terns got ousted from their usual (tern) nesting raft by gulls and a resilient Muscovy Duck. However, one pair made do with a small dilapidated duck platform, laying three eggs on a bed of guano. Their exposed nest attracted the attention of corvids, plus various ducks/geese persisted in perching on the platform to preen.
So, life wasn't easy for the terns. Before long I noticed a broken egg near a sitting adult and assumed a crow was the culprit. The egg sac with embryo intact was left though, so I couldn't be sure. It's possible the egg had been trampled by visiting waterfowl I suppose.
This shot was made after the two remaining eggs had hatched. The female was incubating her youngest chick, whilst the eldest went walkabout.
The elephant in the room lies to the right hand side of the image ...
BEST VIEWED LARGE.