I spotted this Royal Tern couple on the beach in the middle of all the spring break activity – and just couldn’t leave their story for my next post. I hope you enjoy.
Fish Trouble for the Tern Couple. A Photo Story.
I spotted this Royal Tern couple on the beach in the middle of all the spring break activity – and just couldn’t leave their story for my next post. I hope you enjoy.
TINY LESSONS BLOG 
Too cute! Did she ever get it??
I stayed for quite a while, and they were still sitting a bit away – exactly like in the last frame. So it’s a guess we have to make 🙂
Amazing, Tiny!! Just love it 😃 Hope you are well and basked in light! 💜
Happy you liked their story, Lorrie 🙂 I am well and more or less back to the normal routine. Have a wonderful week ahead, my friend.
Pricewinning photo story, absolutely adorable shots. ❤ ❤ 🙂
Thank you dear Dina – it was so much fun to observe this tern couple. I hope the female finally got her fish 😀
Hope so too! 😊🙏
It’s as if you were watching the tussle between Hubby and I last week over the last of the chocolate ice-cream, lol.😂 Beautiful captures of the Royal Terns – simply beautiful!
Hehe…who got the last chocolate ice-cream? These guys were so much fun to watch 🙂
The winner wasME. You’d think after almost 20 years the man would have learnt NOT to get between me and my chocolate ice-cream. ESPECIALLY when he has his own tubs of vanilla or cherry in the freezer but no… that man likes to live life on the edge!😜
Many of them do 😂
Those terns always make me smile. Your story and photos are terrific Helen. 😆
Happy you enjoyed their little argument, Val. Such is life 🙂
Hope it was not a long waiting… What a fun to capture the fight over fish! 🙂 Lovely post, Helen!
Thanks Amy! I hope she got her fish…later 🙂
Hahaha! I loved this . . . your captions are priceless!
That’s what I heard them say 😀
What a great photo essay and perfect captions. Silly Terns.
Yes – silly Terns! We people are never that silly 😉
We are ridiculous! 😉
😀
Cute story! Nature is not so different to human life ha 😀
Thank you Karen. I agree…I felt the scene was somewhat familiar 🙂
Delightful in words and pictures! Terns have given me some funny stories too. Yours is outstanding and so are the photos!
Thanks Ludwig. They are great storytellers, aren’t they? This couple was too funny.
You might enjoy my rather dark tern story from a few years back: http://cafeludwig.blogspot.com/2014/07/one-good-tern.html
That was a great but sad tern story. Luckily no cars are allowed on our Gulf beaches.
No tern was harmed in the making of that story. The beach shown is on the Florida coast. The main tern area is roped off and drivers are very careful elsewhere. All is well.
Wonderful photos!
Thanks Cindy!
Splendid photo story, you are so inventive.
This tern couple practically told the story 🙂 Thank you, Susan.
Brilliant.
I agree, the two of them were quite brilliant!
Ha, ha, cute couple, great shots! 🙂
Thanks Maverick. I hope peace returned to their family shortly after I left 🙂
Marvelous photos, with funny captions to boost.
Thank you, Hien. The captions are exactly what I heard them say 🙂
Lovely! You sure know how to tell a story!
Thanks Stephanie! The story was played out right in front of my eyes, but it’s funny how nobody else on the beach noticed it.
That’s the perfect dialog! Funny storyline Tiny. Thank you! 🙂
That’s what I heard them say, my friend 🙂
Ha ha, I wonder how long the sulking went on. Too funny!
I wonder that too…I watched them for a while more, but had to leave to go home. I hope the female got her fish 🙂
Beautiful! What a wonderful few moments you’ve captured!
Happy you enjoyed their 3-minute story, David. That language was not difficult to understand.
Beautifully captured Helen. Loved it.
SUPER!
Vielen Dank!
Hahaha… What a tease! Even the birds do it!?!
Too cute, Helen; glad you couldn’t wait… 🙂
xoxoxo
Yes, even birds do it! That ‘exchange’ was too funny…and not at all difficult to understand 🙂
Great picture story Tiny, but not a good way for the Terns to form a relationship, to have a family. Usually the male catches the fish and slaps her in the face with it, he gives it to her, she eats it as he watches, they mate soon after. Some Terns make them wait to eat afterwards. Interesting that he refused it, I did see similar myself on my wader beach earlier in the year, very curious behaviour, maybe he had second thoughts. I love your Royal Terns they are very handsome birds and have more crest than our Crested Terns.
I thought it was a bit strange too. The ‘second thoughts’ theory might explain it. She was clearly frustrated…and unfortunately I couldn’t stay very long to observe them as this happened at the end of my long walk and I had to hurry back home. Yes, they are handsome birds…the crest is like a ‘crown’ and I suspect that’s how they got their name. Thank you, Ashley, for your thoughtful comment.
What a great photo story! And I’m not just saying that because I was rooting for the male Tern 😉
Thanks Gabe. He will be very happy to hear you rooted for him 😉
Tiny, these are wonderful photos and with the dialogue sequence, this is a terrific post! Many thanks for making me smile this morning!
I am happy they made you smile! The dialogue is what I ‘heard’ watching them 🙂
Great shots. I love how pictures tell stories. 🙂
They do tell stories…when we are in the listening mode 🙂 Thanks Kathy.
Awesome!
Thanks Catherine!
LOL What a cute story which put smiles on my face. I wonder if she ever did get a fish. I hope so!! 🙂 ❤
And your photos are awesome, Helen!! I mean it! ❤
Thank you, Amy dear ❤
I was rooting for the female as well 🙂 He should have given it to her he first arrived.
Agreed! Where were his manners?
What beauties and how fortunate you are to be able to observe them. Well done.
Yes, I am very fortunate to have this interesting bird community close by. Thank you, Sally.
Cute post and gorgeous images, Helen!
Thanks Donna! I thought hey were quite funny. I hope she got her fish.
Family squabbles! What a delightfully illustrated story. 🙂
I did enjoy the little gift ceremony between the terns. Delightfully captured, Tiny.
Thank you, Otto. I thought they were too cute. But nobody else on the beach noticed them…I guess one has to be a photographer to “see” these things 🙂
Great photo and amazing story
Thank you Marylou, happy you enjoyed their story.
Delightful series, Helen. Your photos are exquisite, the royal terns so beautiful. You embody here the true pleasure of watching our feathered friends.
Thank you, Jet. It’s funny that when all this ‘play’ was going on with the tern couple, no other people around seemed to notice it. Makes me think we “bird people” are more tuned into nature 🙂
I’ve been birding over a quarter of a century now, and I am so happy I took up this pastime because it has given me such a rich life. I sometimes cannot believe how much other people are missing. I’m glad you’re not missing out on the endless beauty, mystery, and life of it all, Helen.
What terrific captures and great story sweet Tiny. Did you stay around to see what happened with the fish? I truly enjoyed this story and they pictures. Hugs
No I didn’t have the time to stay, they were sitting at the water’s edge sulking for a long time. I think the female might have gotten the fish at the end, because otherwise the male would have already eaten it 🙂 Thank you dear Mags.
Aw.. Happens between couple, I guess 🙂
That’s right…couple’s squabbles 🙂
Cute story and great images.
Thank you, Donna! They were hilarious.
Roliga repliker till fantastiska bilder!
Dom var roliga att titta pa 🙂
Oh my goodness, this is just too precious!!