Tule Terns

I might have gone to Tule to get shots of Eared Grebes, but the Common Terns were impossible to ignore. I was trying to get a good shot of this White-Faced Ibis in the very first shot I took at Tule,

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but it was impossible to get the shot without including two of the fifty-or-so terns squawking at me.

There were nearly as many terns in this shot of a White Pelican flock as there were pelicans.

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Loyal readers know what a sucker I am for birds in flight, and this was one of many shots I got of a Common Tern doing a fly by.

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I find it even harder to resist any bird that lands right in front of me, and this tern landed right next to the car and proceeded to protest my presence

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while posing for a considerable time before finally taking flight as I backed up to get a shot from a different angle.

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I never noticed the black tip on the beak and the black toenails before taking these shots. Cameras certainly help us to pay better attention to what we’re seeing.

Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge

One of the reasons I decided to go to Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge was because I hadn’t managed to get a decent shot of an Eared Grebe so far on my trip, and I had gotten nice shots of them the last two times I was at Tule.

Though most of the grebes I saw were at a considerable distance, this pair were relatively close to the road.

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and this one emerged so close to the road that it nearly swam away before I could get the car stopped and my camera focused.

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As I turned out, I really didn’t need to rush at all as this grebe seemed to be undisturbed by my presence. He actually hung around, even floating back in my direction.

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I didn’t get a lot of shots of Eared Grebes, but I was satisfied with the ones I got since I’ve never gotten an action shot of them (they always dive, not fly, when disturbed). I would love to see them with chicks, but it must have been too early since I saw lots of adults but no chicks.

Before I Leave Malheur

Luckily, not everything that happens in life fits into neat categories. So, as much as the English teacher in me likes to retell my trips in thematic units, it always turns out that some of my favorite photos don’t fit any of my preconceived notions.

I’d never seen a Solitary Sandpiper

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at Malheur on my many trips, but this one was impossible to miss.

Nearly all the White-Faced Ibis

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I saw on this trip were too far away are too deep in foliage to get a decent picture, but this lone ibis flushed right in front of my camera.

I go to Malheur to see birds, but on this trip I fell in love with these

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two wildflowers

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on my last stop before leaving for Tule wildlife refuge in Northern California.

Black Terns at Malheur

I’m probably more fascinated by Black Terns than you, but since I spent much time trying to capture these Black Terns in flight I thought I’d at least share a few of my shots. Luckily, it was a sunny day and I was able to get some good in-flight shots, like this one

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and this one where the tern started hovering as they typically do.

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Of course, even terns have to land occasionally (though not usually when I’m around), and that’s the best time to get a clear shot of them.

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I really couldn’t see what they were trying to catch. I’m not even sure what is in this bird’s beak; it looks too big to be a bug and too small to be a fish.

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Judging from how hard they hit the water, though, I thought that they had to be fishing. It’s hard to remember that just a few years ago I thought terns only frequented the ocean and I had never heard of a black tern.