Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Hmmmm...What To Call It.....

The Caspian Tern is the largest tern in the world.  With a wingspan sometimes exceeding four feet and a flaming red beak designed to snag unsuspecting fish, birders all over the globe can appreciate this beauty.   Folks in Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America all get to a chance to see it.

Now that "Caspian" reference makes more sense as I sit here and type just 20 minutes south of Detroit.

For me, seeing them glide over the waters of Lake Erie is very relaxing.  However, if I want to capture a photo, I could start to call them "those damned Caspian Terns". Pretty as they are, they never seem to come close enough to shore. They're always just a bit beyond the reach of my lens.   

This one, however, came close enough for a photo a few days ago.  I could call it "cooperative."  For once! Maybe it was just showing off it's meal,  a common lake fish called a Gizzard Shad.  If that is the case, we could call it a "braggert."


Call them what you will, I'm sure it sucked to be the fish.  If it could talk, I wonder what it would call the tern?

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