White-fronted Tern

On the wharf at Akaroa a pair of white-fronted terns/tara have a well-hidden nest in the same part of the wharf that they were in last year, when their chick was killed by a passing dog. Now they have fenced off part of the wharf to protect them. It was hard to get a really good shot of the little one as it kept its back to me all the time.

It was a good trip over with not a lot of traffic. Sure were lots of people walking around the village. There was a cold strong wind blowing at times but no rain. Out of the wind it was warm. We are spending two nights over here only, as John doesn't like to stay any longer.

The white-fronted tern, also known as tara, sea swallow, black-billed tern, kahawai bird, southern tern, or swallow tail, was first described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. A medium-sized tern with an all-white body including underwing and forked tail, with grey hues on the over the upper side of the wing. Wikipedia