I Dream of Terns

Alan Grinberg

A flock of 200 - 300 terns decided to spend a sunny afternoon on the beach below our house. I quietly snuck down the cliff, hid among the rocks, and spent the next hour and a half observing and photographing the birds (250+ exposures!).

At first I thought these were Common Terns, then a little research indicated maybe they were Caspian Terns, and after more research I thought they were Elegant Terns. Using all the identifying literature I have and the internet, I can only conclude that these birds have characteristics of all 3 types!

This photo is NOT digitally manipulated. Technically, it is overexposed. However, my photos of the birds that were exposed "properly" are less descriptive of the reverie of watching the birds so closely.

Canon Digital Rebel XT.
Lens: 200 mm f2.8 L II, with Canon Extender EF1.4x II (392 mm equivalent).
1/640 second at f/5.6
ISO 100

*** This photo won the First Place prize for Wildlife Photography in the 2008 Pacifica Fog Fest Photo Contest.

*** I also won First Place in the Landscape Category for a photo I had previously put on Flickr: Pedro Point, Pacifica

I always wonder if it is bad manners to brag. Let's just say this is FYI (for your information only).

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