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Arctic Tern chick


Arctic Tern chick
Photo Information
Copyright: Peter van Zoest (PeterZ) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2013-07-30
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D90, Sigma 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO, Digital RAW
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/400 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2013-09-02 6:56
Viewed: 2859
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A few days ago I promised the photo of a chick Arctic Stern (sterna paradisaea). And here it is. It still could not fly. So when I came a bit closer it looked upward to its mother, asking for help. It just walked in front of me, without running away or hiding in the grass. But I left him alone soon.

Complementary information:

Reproduction
Breeding begins around the third or fourth year. Arctic Terns mate for life, and in most cases, return to the same colony each year. Courtship is elaborate, especially in birds nesting for the first time. Courtship begins with a so-called "high flight", where a female will chase the male to a high altitude and then slowly descend. This display is followed by "fish flights", where the male will offer fish to the female. Courtship on the ground involves strutting with a raised tail and lowered wings. After this, both birds will usually fly and circle each other.

Both sexes agree on a site for a nest, and both will defend the site. During this time, the male continues to feed the female. Mating occurs shortly after this. Breeding takes place in colonies on coasts, islands and occasionally inland on tundra near water. It often forms mixed flocks with the Common Tern. It lays from one to three eggs per clutch, most often two.

It is one of the most aggressive terns, fiercely defensive of its nest and young. It will attack humans and large predators, usually striking the top or back of the head. Although it is too small to cause serious injury to an animal of a human's size, it is still capable of drawing blood, and is capable of repelling many raptorial birds and smaller mammalian predators such as foxes and cats. Other nesting birds, such as alcids, often incidentally benefit from the protection provided by nesting in an area defended by Arctic Terns.

The nest is usually a depression in the ground, which may or may not be lined with bits of grass or similar materials. The eggs are mottled and camouflaged. Both sexes share incubation duties. The young hatch after 22–27 days and fledge after 21–24 days. If the parents are disturbed and flush from the nest frequently the incubation period could be extended to as long as 34 days.

When hatched, the chicks are downy. Neither altricial nor precocial, the chicks begin to move around and explore their surroundings within one to three days after hatching. Usually, they do not stray far from the nest. Chicks are brooded by the adults for the first ten days after hatching. Both parents care for hatchlings. Chick diets always include fish, and parents selectively bring larger prey items to chicks than they eat themselves. Males bring more food than females. Feeding by the parents lasts for roughly a month before being weaned off slowly. After fledging, the juveniles learn to feed themselves, including the difficult method of plunge-diving. They will fly south to winter with the help of their parents.

Source: Wikipedia
marius-secan, kinglove, Hotelcalifornia, Alex99, Ishi, aruntp, bungbing, anel, Chiza, amanengone has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To bungbing: SurprisePeterZ 1 09-03 06:46
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2013-09-02 7:05]

Hello Peter.
Great shot ,lovely bird good details on the feathers compositie sharpnes and nice bg.Regards Siggi

Hello Peter,
Lovely picture of this chick Arctic Stern.
good sharpness and colour.
low angle is also nice.
best wishes,
samiran

Hello Peter,
Wow!lovely snap of this pretty chick in an expressive posture.Details,clarity and colours are just remarkable.
Regards,
Joy

Hello Peter,
This is really a beauty....What I like most are the fantastic colors of this little chick. As usual a perfect focus and WB. Superb.....Another masterpiece from close range with excellent clarity and fantastic sharp details.
Thanks for sharing!
Marius.

Hello Peter.
照的很清晰 很漂亮的鳥
羽毛顏色圖案真是美麗大方 很溫馨
最可愛是那一雙大眼睛 含情脈脈 美極了
色係很自然 也很近於原色 很不簡單
謝謝分享
STONE

Hello Mr.Peter,
Adorable Chick.BG is attractive.Details and sharpness is excellent.Like its pose.
Thanks for sharing this little one,
Regards and have a nice day tomorrow,
Srikumar

Ciao Peter, great capture of lovely bird in nice pose, splendid sharpness, fine details and wonderful natural colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6595 W: 89 N: 15659] (65489)
  • [2013-09-02 14:56]

Hi Peter,how is nice and tender! A very lucky meeting and a beautiful capture whit the best quality as possible,i like it!Have a nice day and thanks,Luciano

  • Great 
  • tuslaw Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2754 W: 282 N: 4931] (19883)
  • [2013-09-02 18:07]

Hello Peter,
A precious image of this cute little Arctic Stern chick. Isn't it so true how babies of any species can really capture your heart right off the bat. I am certainly glad you decided to post this beautiful photo, because we rarely get to view the young of most species that are posted. A top quality shot as always!!!
Ron

Interesting subject and impressive photo Peter! Very good composition, wonderful colours and very good sharpness.
Regards,
Christodoulos

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2013-09-02 22:55]

Hi Peter.
What a cute picture and wonderful pose of the bird. Details of the bird mage are fantastic and grey BG is excellent for the main character. Clarity of the shot and clearness of the colours are exceptional. TFS and kin wishes.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • Ishi Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 298 W: 21 N: 1943] (13387)
  • [2013-09-02 23:32]

Hi Petter, Thanks for sharing this one, too. Excellent photograph! The poor little chap looks really miserable...

Cheers!

Ishi

excellent image in low angle. good clarity and nicely presented. tfs.

Hello Peter,
A lovely photo of this chick, nice highlighted eye, excellent details sharpness, great composition and very good out of focus background, a very nicely done,
Thanks for sharing and have a nice afternoon,
Best Regards,
Bungbing.

hallo Peter
Dit is wel erg leuk zo jong en toch al heel mooi
super scherpe opname met prachtige kleuren \

mooie opname weer
gr lou

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3053 W: 3 N: 8715] (40574)
  • [2013-09-06 5:46]

Hello Peter,
How touching! So cute this little Arctic Tern looking for help to its mother. Very natural picture showing so well the "young" plumage of this little chick.
Thanks a lot for this charming picture
Anne

  • Great 
  • Chiza Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 133 W: 0 N: 474] (5351)
  • [2013-09-07 9:21]

Hola Peter:
Como me gusta esta foto, muy bien lograda con la luz justa, enfoque, entorno y composición. Que interesante ver con gran detalle a este pollo de esta especie que no conocía...saludos.

Hello peter.

Very good picture: point of view, sharpness and depth of field excellent. Contrast, saturation, colors very realistics.

Thank you for sharing.

All the best

Philippe

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2791 W: 0 N: 6696] (25839)
  • [2013-10-01 1:02]

Hello peter
very cute chick and the details are well presented here. The depth is really exciting here to give a dramatic effect. Nice glance and splendid composition.

Regards
Foozi

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