Psilos Bird Journal
Tuesday May 9th 2006
     
"Many good terns"
 
 
After the slow arrival of the terns numbers are now starting to build and at present there are four pairs. There are two breeding rafts on the lake but at present they seem to be favouring only one. Maybe as numbers grow they will use the other one too. During this summer I am hoping to spend alot of time watching these terns and learning much more about their antics and behaviour.
     

     
I am quite lucky as I can sit quite close by to the breeding raft and observe them. They do not seem at all concerned about my presence and readily drop down at the waters edge about fifteen feet away and bathe. Bathing they do regularly and like most birds spend hours preening and keeping their feathers in good condition. Capturing this so that you get good detail, good pose and also catch the white in the eye is not easy but luckily there are plenty of birds willing to come down and let me practise.
     

     
There are many threats to nesting terns and many predators that will try to steal their eggs. At present there are no eggs but the terns will vigorously drive off any bird that gets too close. The birds they chase off the most is the black headed gull.
     
     
I dont know if its their fiesty nature or their elegant shape but there is something wonderfully magical about the Common tern. I love to watch them. Their flying and fishing skills are amazing and there are plenty of fish in the lake to feed them all.
     

     
Their constant aeronautical skills wheeling and diving and their antics whilst bathing means there will be many photo opportunities and hopefully through the summer I want to show just what fascinating birds these really are.
     

 
Sadly although the terns are encouraged many birds such as mallards, greylag and Canada geese are not. Eggs are smashed in order to prevent them from breeding and this year numbers of wildfowl are very low indeed. Even numbers of Moorhen and Coot are down. Today there were three ruddy ducks present, two males and one female but I am sure they will soon move on as they have never bred here. The Mute swan is still sitting on her nest after a very late start and only one pair of great crested grebes have as yet produced any chicks.
 
     

Sitting quietly for quite a length of time means that birds become accustomed to you and will come much nearer than normal. I thought this Moorhen was lovely. As he fed the wind caught his feathers from behind and blew out his petticoats. I nicknamed him Marilyn.

Over the next few days I expect many more terns to arrive and hopefully I will see some very interesting behaviour.