Agile and graceful Forster's Tern
Mar 5, 2017 21:09:08 #
They dart back and forth until spotting small fish in the water, then take dive full speed head first.
Shots taken about ten days ago from a boat just outside Aransas National Wildlife Refuge just north of Rockport, Texas.
My D500 and 200-500 Nikon zoom does its job if I do mine. I use either Grp or D72 point continuous auto focus.
Shots taken about ten days ago from a boat just outside Aransas National Wildlife Refuge just north of Rockport, Texas.
My D500 and 200-500 Nikon zoom does its job if I do mine. I use either Grp or D72 point continuous auto focus.
Mar 5, 2017 21:10:40 #
Mar 5, 2017 21:13:50 #
GregWCIL wrote:
They dart back and forth until spotting small fish in the water, then take dive full speed head first.
Shots taken about ten days ago from a boat just outside Aransas National Wildlife Refuge just north of Rockport, Texas.
My D500 and 200-500 Nikon zoom does its job if I do mine. I use either Grp or D72 point continuous auto focus.
Shots taken about ten days ago from a boat just outside Aransas National Wildlife Refuge just north of Rockport, Texas.
My D500 and 200-500 Nikon zoom does its job if I do mine. I use either Grp or D72 point continuous auto focus.
Nice series, hope he/she got dinner
Mar 5, 2017 21:18:56 #
Mar 5, 2017 21:19:06 #
Mar 5, 2017 21:26:52 #
They are pretty small birds and most were at a distance, but I saw more misses than hits.
Mar 5, 2017 21:27:42 #
Mar 5, 2017 22:11:33 #
bobsisk
Loc: Chandler, Arizona
Excellent! The way Terns dart around it's simply amazing that you got the shots at all, and then to get such good ones boggles the mind.
Speaking of Terns ... there's the Arctic Terns that make the 22,000-mile, twice-a-year migration flights between the Arctic and Antarctic regions. One fellow lived alone near a beach where the Terns flew directly overhead during their migrations. He began to take an interest in them. He had nothing better to do between that and frequenting the local bar. One day he had been to the bar first and was a little bit tipsy as he wandered towards the beach carrying a flask of joy juice with him. He had been observing the birds earlier and just as he was passing his house he had a thought. He detoured into the house to get a bowl from the cupboard. Carrying the bowl with him, he made his way to the beach, put a fair amount of the liquor into the bowl and backed away to a spot where he figured he could watch without disturbing the birds. Sure enough, after a while one of the Terns did peal away from the formation and lit near the bowl. He studied it a bit and then poked his beak in the liquid for a sip ... and then another ...etc. While he was getting tipsy he began squawking up at the others flying overhead. Soon some of the other Terns pealed away from the flight. At the urging if their inebriated buddy they began partaking of the strange liquid too. The fellow slipped away from his hiding place; headed for the bar; got more bowls from his house. This time he vowed to leave no Tern un-stoned. :-)
Speaking of Terns ... there's the Arctic Terns that make the 22,000-mile, twice-a-year migration flights between the Arctic and Antarctic regions. One fellow lived alone near a beach where the Terns flew directly overhead during their migrations. He began to take an interest in them. He had nothing better to do between that and frequenting the local bar. One day he had been to the bar first and was a little bit tipsy as he wandered towards the beach carrying a flask of joy juice with him. He had been observing the birds earlier and just as he was passing his house he had a thought. He detoured into the house to get a bowl from the cupboard. Carrying the bowl with him, he made his way to the beach, put a fair amount of the liquor into the bowl and backed away to a spot where he figured he could watch without disturbing the birds. Sure enough, after a while one of the Terns did peal away from the formation and lit near the bowl. He studied it a bit and then poked his beak in the liquid for a sip ... and then another ...etc. While he was getting tipsy he began squawking up at the others flying overhead. Soon some of the other Terns pealed away from the flight. At the urging if their inebriated buddy they began partaking of the strange liquid too. The fellow slipped away from his hiding place; headed for the bar; got more bowls from his house. This time he vowed to leave no Tern un-stoned. :-)
Mar 5, 2017 22:49:29 #
Mar 5, 2017 23:44:03 #
Mar 6, 2017 03:23:11 #
Mar 6, 2017 06:31:13 #
Excellent set. As a series these shots give a sense of the soaring freedom and grace of these sleek birds.
Mar 6, 2017 07:17:39 #
Thank you all for your kind words. And Bobsink, yes I had my share of misses too. One of my fellow photographers caught one of the tern's bill just piercing the water. I tried and tried but never caught that.
Mar 6, 2017 08:41:15 #
GregWCIL wrote:
They dart back and forth until spotting small fish in the water, then take dive full speed head first.
Shots taken about ten days ago from a boat just outside Aransas National Wildlife Refuge just north of Rockport, Texas.
My D500 and 200-500 Nikon zoom does its job if I do mine. I use either Grp or D72 point continuous auto focus.
Shots taken about ten days ago from a boat just outside Aransas National Wildlife Refuge just north of Rockport, Texas.
My D500 and 200-500 Nikon zoom does its job if I do mine. I use either Grp or D72 point continuous auto focus.
Great series captured very well!
Mar 6, 2017 08:57:39 #
bamfordr
Loc: Campbell CA
bobsisk wrote:
Excellent! The way Terns dart around it's simply a... (show quote)
Or the police officer who looked for stolen boats at a local marina by tapping on the transom with a wooden mallet. Each boat makes a different, distinctive sound. She left no stern untoned.
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