Antarctic
terns nest on the Antarctic peninsula and also particularly on Antarctic
islands. It lays it's eggs in small quite widely spread out colonies,
i.e. low density of birds in the colony. The nests are made on the ground
in places that tend to be isolated but quite exposed. The eggs and the
chicks are excellently camouflaged and the birds defend them from a
distance so as not to draw attention to where the nest is.
The upper picture shows a tern hovering at the
"nervous" stage when its nest is being approached maybe by a
skua or other scavenger. Once the intruder gets too close for comfort then
it dive-bombs as in the lower picture. No apologies for a lack of
sharpness in this picture, this is exactly what it seems like. The term
dives and builds up great speed before letting out an ear-piercing call
that is perfectly timed to cause maximum panic and consternation. No
matter how prepared you think you are, the first "attack" feels
like it's removed some time from your life.
Terns feed on small fish and plankton, such as the
ubiquitous krill.
Paul
Ward - Pentax equipment, 70-210mm lens, 35mm film, K64.
This picture may not be copied or used in any manner without
prior written permission.
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