Spilling over the horizon first thing in the morning, the sun makes its presence felt in the way that it send shadows scurrying, highlighting details and bringing tone and form to the previous dark shapes.
It also creates a variety of moods and colours as it marches its inevitable track to the other horizon, to then slip silently, but forcefully over the horizon and leave behind a soft mellow afterglow that drapes and melds over the landscape and our subjects.
Mid-morning to mid-afternoon provide sunlight that brings qualities of contrast, detail, and colour. On a cloudy day, the harsh shadows are suppressed bringing another mood into play.
Working with terns is one of those times where getting the light right is as much a challenge as filling the viewfinder with the bird.
When I first started bird-photography, the people I travelled with called id on what appeared to be two seperate species. “Whiskered Terns” and “Marsh Terns.” For many months, I ticked off both on my list thinking I was seeing two distinct species and not seeing, ‘whiskers’ on any of them, I wondered what I was missing.
One particular evening I spoke to my mentor at the time and asked how to tell the difference. “Oh,” she replied, “they are the same bird they just have had a name change and some of us oldies still refer to them as Marsh.
Defeated by nomenclature!
When it comes to working with these birds, my dear old Mum’s “Keep the Sun over your Left Shoulder, Dear” when using the family box-camera still holds good. Thanks Mum.
Early morn, or late afternoon works well for me, as it gives angular light under the wings. The only challenge to all that is the bird will have its wing in the wrong place and I’ll have the face in shadow. And as they change direction so quickly, it’s not always apparent until I get to view the shot as to how successful it was.
They also smack the water so fast that as I follow them down its hard to keep up with the sudden stop of the bird and keep panning down into just open water.
Missing the impact completely.
Like all thing photographic, some practice is the order of the day.
Meanwhile a pocketful of luck doesn’t hurt either.
As we begin our next trip around the sun, I hope that 2022 brings you some relief from the trauma of the past year and some excellent opportunities for fine images of our birds.
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER - --doesn't mean I'm LOST 
I love the image, David! And yes, the taxonomy people do like to change the names on us! It all gets very confusing at times! Terns, of any variety, are not the easiest of birds to work with!
Here’s hoping the coming year brings many opportunities for us all!
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G’day David, Sometimes I think just watching terns at work is therapeutic. Their deliberateness is fascinating
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Such split-second timing David! And good luck to you both as we venture into 2022.
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Hello Eleanor, I guess the good thing is I don’t have to show the 50 others from the same afternoon that are straight to the delete key. 🙂
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Fantastic shot Dave, with superb timing. You’re right, we’re off to another turn, or is that tern, around the Sun, have fun.
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Hi Rodger, I was a bit worried about using the turn and tern motif, but glad you clocked it.
All that practice with Martins and Swallows does pay off sometime. 🙂
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G’day David, when I see terns, mostly the crested ones in my area, the Byrds’ song plays in my head
“To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep” … and so on.
Because English is not my first language, I do enjoy playing with its nuances and “the birds” and “The Byrds”, “turns” and “terns” is as good as it gets.
Strangely, I have also associated the (Crested) Tern with turning the next page in my imaginary calendar and posted a respective photo on Flickr recently; speaking of which – I miss your photos there but I understand you must have your reasons. I should not complain as I can always follow your wanderings here.
I share your hopes…
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Thanks David, yes I find the name changing misleading and confusing at time. Every new field guide has listings that have changed, especially with waders and water birds, as with the many species now Australian and Australasian. When we first started birding my wife and I looked extensively for the Mangrove Heron only to discover we had already seen it as the Striated. Terns are always a treat to try and capture diving, especially when in flock.
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Hi Ashley, Sometimes I think they do it so they can sell the next edition. It is hard I think for those who use the online services to keep tallies.
These birds appear here in the thousands, just a matter of finding a good spot with some nice light.
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Beaut moments. I think the legs do it for me.
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and those water reflection spots under the wing
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Yep, the underwing light was what did it for me. Probably have let it go otherwise.
Seeya
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