A Last Resort

Featured Story: A Last Resort

A peek over the shoulder confirmed it was still there. A large brown blur, determined, tireless and mirroring every move. Futile erratic turns transitioned to sudden dives, yet it was still there. A now larger brown blur, silent, hulking and gaining ground.

A pass over the breaking waves did nothing but get them both wet. Diving into the trough behind the swell hid her from the blur. Rising from the trough revealed the inevitable. A parent, in what was supposed to be the last feeding of the day, would consume this fish for herself.

Field Notes

The brown blur I referred to in the story above was a juvenile Heermann’s gull. These birds are an absolute menace to the tern colony. In my observations, thievery attempts against elegant terns are common, occurring at a rate of almost once per hour in the early and later portions of the day. That’s not surprising given that these juvenile gulls depend on stealing from other birds for a good portion of their diet.

Another common occurrence was the parent’s decision to eat the fish. Eating a meal intended for one’s offspring is clearly a last resort, but a behavior I’ve observed on multiple occasions, and only after a long chase. In this instance, the gull chased the elegant tern parent for almost 3 minutes. That is an extremely long chase and the longest I’ve ever witnessed.

Unfortunately, I doubt the parent went out to fish again. This event took place in the late afternoon. With an overcast sky, the fog coming ashore and a parent needing to recover from a chase, it’s unlikely there would be enough daylight for another fishing expedition.

Updates

The field portion of my elegant tern project is now complete, and the elegant terns have migrated south. I am working to assemble a collection of stories and articles about the difficulties tern parents encounter when trying to feed post-fledgling juveniles.

I returned to a classroom to lead a wildlife photography workshop at Tomales High School in November. A fabulous experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the students and the art teacher that welcomed me into their world. Nothing beats working with curious and creative students.

Finally, I’m planning a website redesign in December. A new homepage is coming, and I’m creating a new section to house my photography and writing projects.

In Case You Missed It

This month’s featured post: Enough. A recently fed juvenile aggressively begs for more food, forcing a parent to respond.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Until next time.