Arctic Tern - Kría

Description:

No bird in Iceland was as graceful and fascinating to watch as the Arctic Tern. The wedged tail, sharp hooked wings, the red legs and beak and the black head are strikingly elegant, and so is their fishing ballet. They fish mostly by hovering in the air and then diving down to the water. At the same time anyone who's ventured close enough to their breeding ground will know they can be incredibly aggressive.

Habitat:

Laguna and rock shore surrounded by flat meadows, South coast of Iceland.

Notes:

The Arctic Terns at Hofn could care less about the photographer when we just watched them fish. Attempting to walk back to the village on the paved road that happened to cross their breeding ground was a different matter. The attack consists of full dive-flights to your head. No surprise the locals only drove there (cars were attacked as well). Their protective nature seems to offer protection to ducks breeding on the same ground. Raising you arms above your head, a technique working with the Great Skua (http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/348...), did not deter them. The signal is clear: stay well away.