Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

By Jan Ramelli

I joke that photographing this bird is like trying to shoot snowflakes with a BB gun!  I enjoyed watching these birds in the Willow Creek Wildlife area where they fly with their heads pointed down at a right angle to their body; when they spot a small fish or tadpole, they will immediately dive into the water to catch their prey.

They lay up to 3 olive-buff eggs in sand, shallow cup of dead grass, or even pebbly beaches or open rocky places.