Psilos Bird Journal
Friday June 27th 2008
     
"When danger threatens"
 
I reckon there is no bird that works harder at protecting its chicks than the tern. Arctis terns will actually land on your head and draw blood as they dive bomb you in an attempt to protect their young. Common terns are not quite so aggressive but are very persistent and do not give up easily. Today they were even more aggressive than yesterday and at times came very close indeed.
 
So many times I tried to photograph them coming in for the attack. Coming in fast, legs stretched far out in front screaming as they fly. Photographing birds front on is never easy and when they fly as fast as a tern it seems near on impossible. It is a shot I would love to get but today isnt t he day. The light is too poor. The photo above of the bird coming at me fast was the best I could do.

When I got there I was delighted to see one of the tern juveniles flying around. I managed to grab a quick shot before he landed back on the raft. Then the alarm went up, all the adults took to the skies and divebombed me and the juveniles stayed firmly sat in the raft never to fly for me again.
The terns were in a very quarralsome mood. Fish were being brought back in plentiful supply and that always causes a row. Fights as ever were held high up in the sky. Sometimes a more neutral sky can help with dramatic effect.
 
 
 
The weather really isnt good today and the juveniles were certainly not going to show themselves so I headed back. One of the terns is sat on a fishing sign and allowed me to approach quite close.

 
 
 
 
Also got another surprise. Singing clearly from one of the reed beds was a reed warbler. Quite regularly I see Sedge warblers but this is the first time I had seen a reed warbler here clearly. A nice ending to a rather short visit. Will try and get back tomorrow for the juveniles.