Little Tern (Sternula albifrons)
This delightful chattering seabird is the Singapore's smallest resident tern. It has a beautiful, slender built, with a streamlined body, narrow, sharp-pointed wings and a deeply forked tail. During the breeding season, it sports a bright yellow bill with a small black tip, black eyes, and bright yellow-orange legs and feet.
After many years of admiring this beauty from afar, I had my chance to observe and photograph them at closer proximity when a group of them used the breakwater at Marina barrage as their staging point; where the adult birds made hunting sorties and returned frequently with food to feed their hungry growing young.
In order to minimize disturbance to their activities, a home-made hide was used to hide my presence. Lying prone and covered from head to toe with loose camouflage-print netting, I waited patiently for them to arrive. I was delighted when the group of Little Terns accepted me and continued their feeding activities.
Using my elbows as support, I handheld a Nikon 200-500mm to document my observations. One of my favourite photograph was this picture of an adult returning with a fish in its beak and calling for its young. It was soon mobbed by several juvenile terns but after some jostling, the fish was fed to its rightful young.
By the time the group of terns left the breakwater, it had been 2hours since I arrived. Bruised elbows and a sweaty aching body did not take away my sense of joy and appreciation of this unique opportunity to come close to these beauties in Nature.
B
This delightful chattering seabird is the Singapore's smallest resident tern. It has a beautiful, slender built, with a streamlined body, narrow, sharp-pointed wings and a deeply forked tail. During the breeding season, it sports a bright yellow bill with a small black tip, black eyes, and bright yellow-orange legs and feet.
After many years of admiring this beauty from afar, I had my chance to observe and photograph them at closer proximity when a group of them used the breakwater at Marina barrage as their staging point; where the adult birds made hunting sorties and returned frequently with food to feed their hungry young.
In order to minimize disturbance, a home-made hide was used to hide my presence. Lying prone and covered from head to toe with loose camouflage-print netting, I waited patiently for them to arrive. I was delighted when the group of Little Terns accepted me and continued their feeding activities.
Using my elbows as support, I handheld a Nikon 200-500mm to document my observations. One of my favourite photograph was this picture of an adult returning with a fish in its beak and calling for its young. It was soon mobbed by several juvenile terns but after some jostling, the fish was fed to its rightful young.
By the time the group of terns left the breakwater, it had been 2hours since I arrived. Bruised elbows and a sweaty aching body did not take away my sense of joy and appreciation of this unique opportunity to come close to these beauties in Nature.
Little Tern (Sternula albifrons)
This delightful chattering seabird is the Singapore's smallest resident tern. It has a beautiful, slender built, with a streamlined body, narrow, sharp-pointed wings and a deeply forked tail. During the breeding season, it sports a bright yellow bill with a small black tip, black eyes, and bright yellow-orange legs and feet.
After many years of admiring this beauty from afar, I had my chance to observe and photograph them at closer proximity when a group of them used the breakwater at Marina barrage as their staging point; where the adult birds made hunting sorties and returned frequently with food to feed their hungry growing young.
In order to minimize disturbance to their activities, a home-made hide was used to hide my presence. Lying prone and covered from head to toe with loose camouflage-print netting, I waited patiently for them to arrive. I was delighted when the group of Little Terns accepted me and continued their feeding activities.
Using my elbows as support, I handheld a Nikon 200-500mm to document my observations. One of my favourite photograph was this picture of an adult returning with a fish in its beak and calling for its young. It was soon mobbed by several juvenile terns but after some jostling, the fish was fed to its rightful young.
By the time the group of terns left the breakwater, it had been 2hours since I arrived. Bruised elbows and a sweaty aching body did not take away my sense of joy and appreciation of this unique opportunity to come close to these beauties in Nature.
B
This delightful chattering seabird is the Singapore's smallest resident tern. It has a beautiful, slender built, with a streamlined body, narrow, sharp-pointed wings and a deeply forked tail. During the breeding season, it sports a bright yellow bill with a small black tip, black eyes, and bright yellow-orange legs and feet.
After many years of admiring this beauty from afar, I had my chance to observe and photograph them at closer proximity when a group of them used the breakwater at Marina barrage as their staging point; where the adult birds made hunting sorties and returned frequently with food to feed their hungry young.
In order to minimize disturbance, a home-made hide was used to hide my presence. Lying prone and covered from head to toe with loose camouflage-print netting, I waited patiently for them to arrive. I was delighted when the group of Little Terns accepted me and continued their feeding activities.
Using my elbows as support, I handheld a Nikon 200-500mm to document my observations. One of my favourite photograph was this picture of an adult returning with a fish in its beak and calling for its young. It was soon mobbed by several juvenile terns but after some jostling, the fish was fed to its rightful young.
By the time the group of terns left the breakwater, it had been 2hours since I arrived. Bruised elbows and a sweaty aching body did not take away my sense of joy and appreciation of this unique opportunity to come close to these beauties in Nature.