Nesting Little Tern
On a recent visit to Rye Harbour Nature Reserve I saw a fenced off area with a small A4 sign on it. Walking up to read the sign it said that little terns were nesting on the beach, so I quickly went away but looking through the fencing with my binoculars I saw this one in the distance. I managed a shot or two with my newly refurbished Tamron 150-600mm and this is heavily cropped, so not quite as clear as I would like, but I was still delighted to be able to get an image without disturbing the bird which to me was the most important thing. You may detect a slight orange colouration in the image. This is caused by the fencing between the photographer and the bird.
"This delightful chattering seabird is the UK's smallest tern. It is short-tailed and has a fast flight. Its bill is a distinctive yellow with a black tip. It is noisy at its breeding colony where courtship starts with an aerial display involving the male calling and carrying a fish to attract a mate, which chases him up high before he descends, gliding with wings in a 'V'.
Its vulnerable nesting sites and its decline in Europe make it an Amber List species. It is also listed as a Schedule 1 species in The Wildlife and Countryside Act."
Source RSPB website: www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a...
Nesting Little Tern
On a recent visit to Rye Harbour Nature Reserve I saw a fenced off area with a small A4 sign on it. Walking up to read the sign it said that little terns were nesting on the beach, so I quickly went away but looking through the fencing with my binoculars I saw this one in the distance. I managed a shot or two with my newly refurbished Tamron 150-600mm and this is heavily cropped, so not quite as clear as I would like, but I was still delighted to be able to get an image without disturbing the bird which to me was the most important thing. You may detect a slight orange colouration in the image. This is caused by the fencing between the photographer and the bird.
"This delightful chattering seabird is the UK's smallest tern. It is short-tailed and has a fast flight. Its bill is a distinctive yellow with a black tip. It is noisy at its breeding colony where courtship starts with an aerial display involving the male calling and carrying a fish to attract a mate, which chases him up high before he descends, gliding with wings in a 'V'.
Its vulnerable nesting sites and its decline in Europe make it an Amber List species. It is also listed as a Schedule 1 species in The Wildlife and Countryside Act."
Source RSPB website: www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a...