The Common Tern

To me this Common Tern is not so common. These birds are world class travelers and can be found from Europe to South America. Their close relative the Arctic Tern is the farthest traveled migrating animal in the world, traveling over 3 million miles in their 30 year lifespan. I took these photos of a small flock off if the coast at Cape May. I went on a tour sponsored by Birding by boat on the Osprey. Here is the website if your ever in Cape May NJ. Birding by boat. On my your we moored the boat against a nesting site of the Common Terns. We did not bother them and caused no harm buyer were concerned for them. The was bad weather coming and the tides was going to be real high that evening which would wash away all these birds nests. The reason for these Tern nesting so close to the edge ofthewater was because the Laughing Gulls were also nesting in the same piece of land and they chased the Terns off. They nested where they can. When we pulled up they were clearly agitated buy calmed down quickly once realizing we were not a threat to them. Nature can beautiful and cruel at the same time. Poor eggs wish I could build a barge for them to nest in.