Courtship flight among these Elegant Terns is a site to see as the male will dangle a fish as part of the courtship in anticipation that she will except the fish "The Gift".
The male Tern then passes the fish to her then the mating ritual begins:)
Nikon D300 AFS600 F4
1/2000 F6.3 ISO 400
Thanks For Looking
Jim
Last edited by James Salywoda; 07-04-2009 at 08:18 PM.
Well, it's sure cheaper than a diamond, isn't it Jim ?!? :D
I love the way you've captured an elegant flight moment with great dynamic action and outstanding focus and exposure.
Excellent image of a great species Jim. I love the way the two birds almost fit together. BTW, courtship feeding like this is a ritual as you suggest but also is a means by which the male feeds the female and as such provides nutrients that eventually find their way into the eggs. The better condition the female is in, the more eggs (up to a point) she will lay, and this benefits both birds from an evolutionary perspective.
Well timed to capture both in the frame James, and John's description of them "fitting together" sums it up nicely. The fish is a huge bonus to show the behaviour. Great image, and well captured.
Nice! The eye is beautifully visible on both individuals. Excellent interaction, and the lowered wing of the lower individual gave nice separation between the two. Interesting difference in bill color too.
This is excellent, I think it is extremely hard to get both terns in courtship sharp, to fit in the same frame, to not overlap each other and with good eye contact.
Elegant Terns "Please Except My Gift"
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