Cape May Series - Forster's Tern

On May 9th and 10th, my son and I took a weekend camping trip to the Cape May Peninsula and surrounding area. It was an amazing weekend, and I came home with around 4,500 photos to work through.

I thought to start a series, where I share the highlights as I manage to get to them, so here is the first installment.

We drove the Wildlife Drive at the Edwin B. Forsythe NWR on the first morning. If you ever get to New Jersey, this is a must visit location. In early May, it is easy to get over 70 species at this location in a few hours. I really enjoyed watching the Forster’s Terns fishing along the wildlife drive. At one point I got out of the car and spent about 15 minutes capturing the action. Here are some of my favorites.

This tern did not swallow the fish immediately, as it would have if it was planning to consume it. During breeding season, a male will catch and carry a fish to offer to a female. This "food exchange" acts as a courtship ritual, proving to the female that he is a reliable provider capable of feeding a family. At this time of year, this is almost surely what I was observing…

Tern hunting over the marsh, in front of an Osprey nesting platform.