Forester's tern hovering, Alameda, California

The breeding ground for least terns, an endangered species is only open to the public one day a year. We went on the tour today, and saw many fledglings and adults. It's a very busy and fascinating place, but the birds are small and camouflaged, and we had to observe from a distance. Blips were hard to do.

This is a Forester's tern, their larger and more common relative. Terns are close relatives of gulls, but they are fish and invertebrate eaters while gulls will eat whatever they can get (including parts of peoples' picnics.) This tern is hovering and scouring the water for fish. If it sees one, it will swoop down and try to grab it. I saw a lot of unsuccessful attempts - fish can tell when birds are coming. Life as a predator isn't as easy as some nature shows make it look!