Every time I’ve been to Penguin Island, I’ve been fascinated by the Crested Terns (Sterna bergii). The first time I visited with my camera, I watched for ages as a group of terns splashed about in the small waves on the more protected side of the island.

Terns in the waves

In late November last year, the terns were busy raising their families. They started out with the young hidden in the vegetation and the poor parents battling to get fish to the chicks without losing their catch to the very determined Silver Gulls.

Two weeks later, the colony had moved down onto the beach.

The gulls were still very much in evidence but not seeming as much of a threat, probably as the chicks were older. I’m not sure how the parents find their offspring in amongst all the chaos.

Tern chick on the move

Waiting for food – Crested tern chick

Crested tern with lunch

Young Crested tern exercising his wings

Hopefully those chicks are all grown up now, and in juvenile plumage like the bird on the left below.

Juvenile crested tern on the beach

Adult Crested tern pair

© Jennie Stock – Nature in Focus, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any images or other material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.