WBW is still on Lord Howe Island this week, meanwhile, I am not!
The Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) is probably one of the most noticeable birds on LHI - any walker by the sea is likely to accompanied by these birds, and in some places you have to swerve around them as they sit on the beach.
I took this pictures on a rather warm day and many of the birds were just loafing about on the beach. You can tell what the weather was like from the colour of the skies in the flight pictures.
This tern is about 45cm long with a wing span that approaches 100cm. They are splendid birds. The brown bird in the final picture is a well grown fledgling. Clearly the sun was making at least one bird a little itchy!
The Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) is probably one of the most noticeable birds on LHI - any walker by the sea is likely to accompanied by these birds, and in some places you have to swerve around them as they sit on the beach.
I took this pictures on a rather warm day and many of the birds were just loafing about on the beach. You can tell what the weather was like from the colour of the skies in the flight pictures.
This tern is about 45cm long with a wing span that approaches 100cm. They are splendid birds. The brown bird in the final picture is a well grown fledgling. Clearly the sun was making at least one bird a little itchy!
As ever, you can join in with WBW by clicking on the link below - and also as ever, please feel free to share the love for WBW with other bloggers! Cheers. SM
I'm happy that WBW decided to stay behind on Lord Howe Island this week to get such nice photos of the Sooty Tern! Thanks for hosting, Stewart.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful black and white plumage!
ReplyDeleteTheir wings look like a body builders!
ReplyDelete"Swerve around them on the beach"? I just can't imagine that pleasure. You know how crowded our island is now Stewart.
ReplyDeleteHari om
ReplyDeleteSuch a beauty is the sooty! YAM xx
Young birds can look so different from the adult of the species. Makes it hard to identify many of them.
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful tern. Can you move Lord Howe Island a little closer to me please?
ReplyDeleteI admire Terns: they are so powerful flyers!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week and thanks for visiting my blog!
Beautiful bird! We don't have such bird in our region, so it is interesting to see it!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, splendid.
ReplyDeleteLove their coloring..Very striking in their black and white..Beautiful pictures, Stewart
ReplyDeleteGrowing up by the norther Atlantic, I am accustomed to seeing lots of terns. I don't think I've seen them on land as such so thanks for these close up photos.
ReplyDeleteStewart, fantastic capture of the Sooty Tern. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLovely shots.
ReplyDeleteSo cute these birds. Here in Sicily we have a tiny island called Mozia and it's a bird sanctuary, there are many flamingoes.
ReplyDeleteI don't do much bird photography because I haven't got a long enough lens, but yours as always are fabulous. Thanks for stopping by my blog this week.
ReplyDelete