Tag Archives: Royal Tern

Royal Terns and Chicks

June 26, 2024 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

Again this year I went on the Baby Pelican Cruise with Coastal Expeditions. We left from their HQ on Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant. All the pictures in this series were taken from a moving boat as we went from Shem Creek, to the refurbished Crab Bank just off Shem Creek and then around Shutes Folly/Castle Pinkney in Charleston Harbor.

One of the unexpected things I saw was Royal Tern chicks. These terns were one of at least five species that had active nests on the Castle Pinkney property: Brown Pelicans, Snowy Egrets, Tricolored Herons, Laughing Gulls, Royal Tern.

The edge of the island was covered in blanket flower.

That red thing is trash, probably washed up by the tide as there is no human activity allowed on the island. The Snowy Egret popping out of the brush made me laugh.

The adult Royal Terns were looking around while the chicks were either laying or standing in place in the couple of minutes I had to watch them. It was hot and had been raining.

Baby Pelican Cruise with Coastal Expeditions, from Shem Creek, to the refurbished Crab Bank just off Shem Creek and then around Shutes Folly/Castle Pinkney in Charleston Harbor.

June 23, 2024

Shore Birds

Royal Tern On His Own

November 3, 2022 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

A single Royal Tern wandered away from his flock…

and single footedly enjoyed the beach solitude.

Kiawah Beach, SC
October 21, 2022

Shore Birds

Terns, Close Up

November 10, 2018 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

Royal Terns took the position closer to the water, or maybe that is what the Skimmers left them.

These Terns are spectacular, too, with their orange beaks and black crown.

The last image is from further back. The sun had peaked out below a cloud bank on the western horizon providing a nice late afternoon light.

Shore Birds

They Took to the Air

November 9, 2018 Ellen Jennings 8 Comments

The tide was coming in so this group of shore birds, mostly Black Skimmers and Royal Terns, had to relocate. It was quite a sight!

Black Skimmers, Royal Terns, Plus in Flight

Water Birds

Tern: Working His Water Exit

October 13, 2018 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

Royal Tern, wings out of the water:

One strong down wing beat:

Pulling up out of the water:

A second strong down wing beat:

The fish catch held in his beak is sticking out on either side of the tern’s body:

A third beat of the wings and tern is fully away from the water with his lunch flapping:

This series was over in two seconds.

Water Birds

Tern: Will Turn for Food

October 12, 2018 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

A few Royal Terns have been coming regularly to one of the old rice field ponds to feed. Terns are extremely skillful flyers and I watched two of them for an entertaining 45 minutes, making loops around the pond and occasionally out over the Ashley River.

The terns were constantly turning their heads and changing direction. When they spot a fish in the water they hover.

Then dive!

They go completely under water.

And if all goes well, come up with a fish!

Up and away!

Interestingly, the two terns then flew together out over the river. They got too far away to tell if the fishless bird was trying to steal the meal or if they were sharing.