Sunday 3 October 2010

Venus Pool - Black Terns

I was just taking a break from my carpentry when I noticed the downpour had stopped! I can't remember rain like it (this morning) so after a 90 minute morning blank, I went home and set about building a ark and rounding up pairs of animals :-)

The afternoon didn't look muchy better but after checkinhg there was nothing on the pool, decided to walk the top field. Good decision, from the car park I could see a small dark shape flying over the adjacent fishing pool - it's Sunday so it must be Black Terns day?

When I got to the causeway, it was clearly TWO juvenile Black Terns!!

After watching them for a while, they moved over to VP, (you have to be fit for this game). I legged it back to the hide just in time to catch one on the deck!






Of course, they flew back immediately to the fishing pool, it would have been rude not to follow.....













Truly a close encounter of the Tern kind....










Insects in the air seemed to be the main diet, but every now and then they would take a small fish near the surfece! Always distant (and you'll have to believe me). These record shots are the moment a couple of sprats met their doom!








A 'different' shot to finish with, looming head on with dark foliage in the background.






Black Terns are great but I need something 'new' now......