{"id":142483,"date":"2023-09-07T06:23:32","date_gmt":"2023-09-07T12:23:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=142483"},"modified":"2023-09-07T06:39:41","modified_gmt":"2023-09-07T12:39:41","slug":"my-first-fresh-juvenile-forsters-tern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2023\/09\/07\/my-first-fresh-juvenile-forsters-tern\/","title":{"rendered":"My First “Fresh Juvenile” Forster’s Tern"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m enamored.<\/p>\n

Two days ago I spent a bunch of time trying to photograph Forster’s Terns fishing a small pond at Bear River MBR. Terns in flight are always a challenge but these were more difficult than usual because the pond was small and surrounded by tall phrags. So, as soon as the terns got past the phrags and close enough for photos they suddenly swooped down closer to the water, which made them nearly impossible to keep in the frame. Or to reacquire after I’d lost them in the frame.<\/p>\n

My strong preference for photos that didn’t have sky backgrounds didn’t make it any easier. But I got some shots I like, including some of my first “fresh juvenile”, which I think is a stunningly attractive bird.<\/p>\n

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1\/8000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n

There were about 20 Forster’s Terns fishing the pond and all but one of them were adults in nonbreeding plumage. I sure like backgrounds similar to this one better than plain sky backgrounds. Invasive phrags cause a lot of problems for our refuges and our birds but when warm, early morning light hits them, magic can happen in the backgrounds of our photos.<\/p>\n

I probably spent too much time trying to photograph terns hitting the water in a dive after a fish or coming out of the water immediately after a dive. I never got any good photos like that but…<\/p>\n

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1\/4000, f\/5.6, ISO 1600, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n

I did get a few interesting ones. This one was taken immediately after the tern hit the water. It’s high contrast and I clipped wings in both the bird and its reflection, but it still grabs my eye.<\/p>\n

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1\/5000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n

I was a little surprised by the small size of the fish they were catching. In my photos I could see about a half dozen fish they caught and most of them were even smaller than this one. Only one was larger but it wasn’t larger by much.<\/p>\n

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1\/8000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the “fresh juvenile” I became so enamored with. At this young age, juveniles have ginger-brown markings on their head, back and scapulars but by late summer and early fall those colors disappear quickly, turning to whitish and gray due to fading and wear.<\/p>\n

We only get a hint of those ginger-brown colors in this shot but…<\/p>\n

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1\/8000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n

we see more of them in this one.<\/p>\n

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1\/8000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the best shot I got to reveal those dorsal colors and patterns of that single fresh juvenile. I wish it had been closer but birds have a habit of not cooperating that way.<\/p>\n

I think this fresh juvenile is the most attractive bird I’ve ever photographed in Laridae, the family of seabirds that includes gulls, terns and a few others.<\/p>\n

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This is an older photo of an adult Forster’s Tern. I’m including it because it shows the bird’s dorsal surfaces so well, allowing the viewer to appreciate the dramatic differences between an adult in breeding plumage and a fresh juvenile.<\/p>\n

Ron<\/p>\n

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I’m enamored. (7 photos)<\/p>\n

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