View allAll Photos Tagged CommonTerns
It was a crazy windy day with sand flying everywhere. Sometimes weather conditions like this make for great photo opportunities like these little tern chicks being sheltered from the wind.
The Common Tern has to be one of the strictest parents out there. They are the ones that dive bomb you, poop on your head, if you get to close. This little one made a run for freedom, Mom wasn't having it.
There were only a handful of these little guys. You can see the beginning of it's feathers forming.
Manasquan Inlet, NJ
I visited a nesting colony and had fun photographing the common terns and their chicks. Here a parent brings back fish. One runs away with the fish as the other begs for its meal.
Common Tern - Sterna Hirundo
Juvenile
It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. Breeding adults have light grey upperparts, white to very light grey underparts, a black cap, orange-red legs, and a narrow pointed bill. Depending on the subspecies, the bill may be mostly red with a black tip or all black. There are a number of similar species, including the partly sympatric Arctic tern, which can be separated on plumage details, leg and bill colour, or vocalisations.
Breeding in a wider range of habitats than any of its relatives, the common tern nests on any flat, poorly vegetated surface close to water, including beaches and islands, and it readily adapts to artificial substrates such as floating rafts. The nest may be a bare scrape in sand or gravel, but it is often lined or edged with whatever debris is available. Up to three eggs may be laid, their dull colours and blotchy patterns providing camouflage on the open beach.
Population:
UK breeding:
12,000 pairs
Common Tern - Sterna Hirundo
Adult and Juvenile.
It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. Breeding adults have light grey upperparts, white to very light grey underparts, a black cap, orange-red legs, and a narrow pointed bill. Depending on the subspecies, the bill may be mostly red with a black tip or all black. There are a number of similar species, including the partly sympatric Arctic tern, which can be separated on plumage details, leg and bill colour, or vocalisations.
Breeding in a wider range of habitats than any of its relatives, the common tern nests on any flat, poorly vegetated surface close to water, including beaches and islands, and it readily adapts to artificial substrates such as floating rafts. The nest may be a bare scrape in sand or gravel, but it is often lined or edged with whatever debris is available. Up to three eggs may be laid, their dull colours and blotchy patterns providing camouflage on the open beach.
Population:
UK breeding:
12,000 pairs
I am guessing that the one standing is the father. I read that when the chicks are newly hatched the male tern is the one who does most of the fishing. It was a very windy day with sand flying every where but parental responsibility must go on. The male brought back fish and one of the chicks was trying to gulp it down.
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
Caught this mom checking on her eggs. Perhaps she hears some movement inside. Nickerson Beach Park, Long Island NY.
Yesterday I made a great trip to the Hallig Hooge. One highligt was the Terms following the ship to the island the whole way. But the Terms are not easy to catch, they are so fast and change their direction very quick.
Gestern habe ich einen tollen Ausflug zur Hallig Hooge gemacht. Ein Highlight waren die Seeschwalben, die das Schiff zur Hallig die ganze Strecke begleitet haben. Aber sie sind wirklich schwer zu erwischen, sie sind so schnell und wechseln plötzlich ihre Richtung.
Common Tern - Sterna Hirundo
It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. Breeding adults have light grey upperparts, white to very light grey underparts, a black cap, orange-red legs, and a narrow pointed bill. Depending on the subspecies, the bill may be mostly red with a black tip or all black. There are a number of similar species, including the partly sympatric Arctic tern, which can be separated on plumage details, leg and bill colour, or vocalisations.
Breeding in a wider range of habitats than any of its relatives, the common tern nests on any flat, poorly vegetated surface close to water, including beaches and islands, and it readily adapts to artificial substrates such as floating rafts. The nest may be a bare scrape in sand or gravel, but it is often lined or edged with whatever debris is available. Up to three eggs may be laid, their dull colours and blotchy patterns providing camouflage on the open beach.
Population:
UK breeding:
12,000 pairs
Common Tern - Sterna Hirundo
Adult and Juvenile.
It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. Breeding adults have light grey upperparts, white to very light grey underparts, a black cap, orange-red legs, and a narrow pointed bill. Depending on the subspecies, the bill may be mostly red with a black tip or all black. There are a number of similar species, including the partly sympatric Arctic tern, which can be separated on plumage details, leg and bill colour, or vocalisations.
Breeding in a wider range of habitats than any of its relatives, the common tern nests on any flat, poorly vegetated surface close to water, including beaches and islands, and it readily adapts to artificial substrates such as floating rafts. The nest may be a bare scrape in sand or gravel, but it is often lined or edged with whatever debris is available. Up to three eggs may be laid, their dull colours and blotchy patterns providing camouflage on the open beach.
Population:
UK breeding:
12,000 pairs
A Common Tern relaxing on the beach after doing a spot of fishing.
Many thanks to all who take the time to view, comment or fave my images.
I have watched these two beautiful terns having their lunch on the lake shore. They suddenly landed very close to my surprise and I was happy to take some shots. It was awesome to observe this courting behaviour.
"Courting continues on the ground with the male tipping his head down and holding his wings down and out from the body while walking around the female, who points her head upward. The male starts offering food to the female, eventually feeding her almost exclusively as the pair bond is cemented."
Common Tern - Sterna Hirundo
It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. Breeding adults have light grey upperparts, white to very light grey underparts, a black cap, orange-red legs, and a narrow pointed bill. Depending on the subspecies, the bill may be mostly red with a black tip or all black. There are a number of similar species, including the partly sympatric Arctic tern, which can be separated on plumage details, leg and bill colour, or vocalisations.
Breeding in a wider range of habitats than any of its relatives, the common tern nests on any flat, poorly vegetated surface close to water, including beaches and islands, and it readily adapts to artificial substrates such as floating rafts. The nest may be a bare scrape in sand or gravel, but it is often lined or edged with whatever debris is available. Up to three eggs may be laid, their dull colours and blotchy patterns providing camouflage on the open beach.
Population:
UK breeding:
12,000 pairs
Common Tern chick - { Sterna hirundo, Rybitwa zwyczajna } stands in the sand as the sun rise behind him showing off his fuzzy feathers at Long Island, New York
Ania Tuzel© All rights reserved
400mm - f/6.3 - 1/640 - ISO 640
Thanks very much for the comments and the visit!
Common Tern
We got to see lots of this yesterday. The really strange thing, none of the males actually gave the offerings to the mates or possible mates.
Not big enough or too big????