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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Little Tern Behaviour (1 Viewer)

Jamspangle

Up the boro!
Just wanted to share with anyone interested a nice little bit of behaviour witnessed yesterday.

Sat in a hide on the colony i saw a bird with 2 chicks. They are just big enough not to require brooding, but the adult (female i believe) was staying close to them, but wandering about, trying out scrapes etc. then she comes across abandoned eggs that i know for a fact aren't hers. She immediately settled on them, going through the motions of tucking them under her, only to stand up and walk off as soon as she got settled.

Is this an example of the stereotyped behaviour of birds? I can imagine that birds that don't have an urge to cover eggs would be selected against as they'd occasionally leave their own eggs uncovered, the price to pay for this behaviour is that occasionally you find yourself sat on someone else's eggs.

I must admit that after working with them Little Terns do strike you as being a little on the dim side. For example you don't need walking into the hide as you would with most birds. I can enter the hide unaccompanied no more than 8m from a bird and it will settle back down minutes after i've 'vanished' without it worrying where i've gone, even though the ringed plovers know i'm there and are 'hoo-wicking' their consternation. No wonder little terns are endangered!
 
That is a strange one i have never noticed but agree they are a bit dim,
I have always been surprised how they remember where thier nest is as they are so close together and to us seem all the same, i like to see them dive down to thier own nest so as not to get pecked from nearby birds.Just wondering if your bird is thinking of having another clutch as would seem still to be broody.
 
Have they been dive-bombing you Jam? Last couple of times I was down in Kilcoole a couple of the Littles thought they were mini-skuas. I was just on the path like everyone else, but it gives you quite a start!
 
pianoman said:
Have they been dive-bombing you Jam?

They've been doing more than that, next time you see me just look at the back of my jacket!

It's funny what they do attack though - i was assisiting with ringing the other day and receiving the attention you'd expect when a Kittiwake comes flying past a bit close to the colony, minding it's own business and they all forget about us and chase it! Another strange fact of Little Tern behaviour, they hate Kittiwakes. Quite what threat they pose I really don't know.
 
keithyed said:
Just wondering if your bird is thinking of having another clutch as would seem still to be broody.

Someone suggested to me that maybe it was reminiscing about the days when it just had to sit on eggs and didn't have hungry, screaming chicks to feed!
 
been down the beach today here at gt.yarmouth,most have now hatched so my cap is abit white ,, Ringing on saturday so will be covered. only had 2 visits today from kestrels where as the winterton colony has been decimated by kestrels no chicks left
just about 30 nests with eggs left there now.
 
Stomachs on Legs

Check out this for a feat of swallowing! The fish is longer than the chick! I can only marvel at the working of their digestive system - it was taking more fish in about an hour after these photos were taken, which incidently were taken over an approximately 10 minute period.

But then i guess if i was faced with flying to Africa when I was a tender 5 weeks old I'd be feeding myself up too!

Incidently, we now have our first fledglings loafing with the adults, heads 'blacked up', joining in dreads etc. I feel like a proud dad, proud but sad to see my babies so grown up!
 

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We've been baby sitting an arctic tern ourselves. He recently put on his black hat. He's fattening up and stretching his wings getting ready for his big release in a couple weeks.
 

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