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Common Tern

Common Tern
Copyright ©2011, Olav Agnar Frogner
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The Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, breeding in temperate and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and east and central North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. It is sometimes known as the sea swallow. Its foreign names are, in French: Sterne pierregarin; Spanish: Gaviotin comun (South America) or Charran comun; Portugese: Trinta-réis-boreal (Brazil) or Garajau-comun (Azores); German: Flusseeschwalbe. Like all Sterna terns, the Common Tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, from a height of 1-6 m, either in the sea or in freshwater lakes and large rivers. It usually dives directly, and not from the "stepped-hover" favoured by Arctic Tern. It commonly forages in flocks (though in inland populations, individuals often forage singly on in pairs). The prey fish are 5-15 cm long. Occasionally it can also take insects, crustaceans, and dead fish. The Common tern forages up to 20 km away from the breeding colony, usually within 1 km of the shore.

Photographer: Olav Agnar Frogner
Folder: Danube Delta
Uploaded: 04-Oct-2011 19:11 CEST
Current Rating: 9.50/2
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Model release available:
Camera: Olympus E-3
Exposure time: 1/1000 s
Aperture: F5
Focal length: 283 mm
Lens: Olympus ZD 50-200 swd + EC-14
Focusing method: Spot
ISO: 400
White balance: Auto
Flash: no
Image format: SHQ
Processing applied: ACR + levels & curves in PS-CS4
Various:
Image resized to: 813x1000

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Great action

Olav,
What perfect timing. A really dramatic action shot.
Mark Stodter

Mark Stodter at 02:08 CEST on 05-Oct-2011 [Reply]

Thank you Mark…

…for very nice compliments.

This was in fact an action shot. Approaching with the boat this bird suddenly got airborne and yes, I got lucky in pure snapshotting style got the image.

Olav Agnar Frogner at 17:47 CEST on 05-Oct-2011 [Reply]

NO SUBJECT

Very well done! Great timing and color balance is superb!

Bruce Thomas at 04:52 CEST on 11-Oct-2011 [Reply]

Thank you Bruce...

... for nice and friendly compliments.

Olav Agnar Frogner at 11:07 CEST on 11-Oct-2011 [Reply]