Sightings: The mystery of the Forster's Tern

New friends are showing up at the lake as spring turns to summer... I think this is a Forster's tern. Two years ago there were a ton of these guys hanging out at the lake all summer. I even saw a fledgling tern. Last year, I didn't see any! I wonder if they have decided to give the lake another try this year.

This is another bird that you might not notice right away (especially if you are expecting only seagulls). But you can often hear their distinctive calls, which they seem to make as they chase each other around (read "constantly.") If you get a closer look, you can see that they have forked tails, black heads, and wings so pointy they could be used as ninja stars.


Harder to capture on film is their hunting technique--they fly staring down into the water, and if they spot something, flip a 180 and plunge straight down into the water with a splash.