Psilos Bird Journal
Thursday May 11th 2006
     
"Under the hot spring sun" (page 2)
 
Just like me the terns seemed reluctant to do any fishing in the heat of the day and many sat around on the raft trying almost impossibly to keep cool. Long periods of sitting doing nothing were broken up by short frenzied fishing trips or, by some, presumably the females a quick fly out to stretch the wings or bathe.
     

     
Today we are up to six pairs and the raft is getting quite full. On the whole activity is minimal Right in front of where I am sitting they have a favourite perch and any given tern will aggresively defend their right to sit on it..
     

 
They also spend alot of time preening on this perch. I sit about twenty feet away and they do not bother about my presence at all so I can watch them in a totally relaxed atmosphere doing what they do naturally.
 
     
From this perch they will also call out either to a mate in the raft or in defense of any passing predators. They will also use it as a stopping off perch when bringing fish. The tern below called to his mate and she came to him from the raft to feed which they do occasionally. Sadly though they flew down onto the grass further up and had their backs to me so I missed this wonderfully intimate exchange.


I am still practising the bringing the fish back shot. Sometimes they appear so suddenly you hardly have time to prepare.


 
Another shot I keep practising but still needs alot of refining is the tern taking a drink of water whilst on the wing. Split precision timing is needed with this one but I shall have a lot of fun trying to get it right.
Tomorrow I believe it is going to be hot and sunny again so I think I shall come back. Watch this space...