Friday, September 12, 2014

Common tern at Sandy Point State Reservation

Common tern on the beach at Sandy Point State Reservation
A common tern watching the sky at Sandy Point State Reservation in Massachusetts

In early August I took my first and only trip to Plum Island for the summer. I was hoping to catch the front end of the fall shorebird migration, and while I saw a fair number of sandpipers, the breeding colony of terns was the real highlight. In general, I find terns to be a tough bird to approach, even with my standard slow-motion belly crawl. On this day, however, I was lucky to find a small group of common terns that were rather indifferent to me and let me crawl close. Unfortunately, I was only able to enjoy a few short minutes of photographic excitement before a beach runner came jogging by and ended my fun.

Head-on view of a common tern in Massachusetts
A common tern follows the flight path of an overhead flock at Sandy Point State Reservation


View more of my photographs of terns.


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