Only a few days ago while making way through Newport Harbor a Tern appeared about 40 to 50 feet ahead of my bow and maybe 20 feet or so above the surface of the water. On sighting the Tern as I made way over the water, a couple of thoughts quickly came to mind.
"Gee" I thought, "it seems kinda late for a Tern to still be here." And then as I was nearly underneath the bird, "I wonder what'll happen if I continue making way under..." and then the bird defecates, it's droppings landing about a foot or so off my starboard beam thanks in no small part to a slight breeze from port.
After passing the target area feeling a little bewildered I craned my neck looking aft to see that the Tern was hovering over my wake or right in the track-line I'd just made, hovering for maybe another 2 to 3 seconds when suddenly it dove straight down into the water, that time catching nothing and so back up quickly it flew to its hovering location waiting I'd guess for the fish to swim by again.
Onward as I continued making way I wondered about that bird. "Was that defecation a common occurrence because the bird 'just had to go'? Or was that defecation a protest towards me for making way through its hunting grounds?" I have to admit, the bird did have a perturbed look in its eye but maybe that was my imagination.
Later in the day after returning to port I pulled out a book I'd checked out from the library entitled, "THE UNCOMMON GUIDE to Common Life of Narragansett Bay". I've been reading the book sort of like a novel and think that maybe I've finally grasped a slightly above a layman's understanding of the difference between zooplankton and phytoplankton (as far as I presently understand, zooplankton are animals and phytoplankton are plants).
Well, I broke away from the reading of the book like a novel (you know, from beginning to end with no peeking ahead to ruin plot (alright, I admit that maybe I'd thumbed through to the bird section near the back but it is a reference book right?)) and boldly read the book as a field guide and happily found that low and behold there are a couple of pages on the LEAST TERN. And on the pages about the LEAST TERN in the "Distinguishing Features and Behaviors" section is the following paragraph.
"The size of this bird does not stop it from trying intimidation tactics to drive away predators. Like the common tern, they will swoop down on humans or other intruders and defecate on them."
From "THE UNCOMMON GUIDE to Common Life of Narragansett Bay", published by SAVE THE BAY in 1998.
Maybe the next time I find myself sailing towards a LEAST TERN I'll show the feisty bugger a little respect and arc around or come about or jibe.
Fair Winds
Captain Bill
"Gee" I thought, "it seems kinda late for a Tern to still be here." And then as I was nearly underneath the bird, "I wonder what'll happen if I continue making way under..." and then the bird defecates, it's droppings landing about a foot or so off my starboard beam thanks in no small part to a slight breeze from port.
After passing the target area feeling a little bewildered I craned my neck looking aft to see that the Tern was hovering over my wake or right in the track-line I'd just made, hovering for maybe another 2 to 3 seconds when suddenly it dove straight down into the water, that time catching nothing and so back up quickly it flew to its hovering location waiting I'd guess for the fish to swim by again.
Onward as I continued making way I wondered about that bird. "Was that defecation a common occurrence because the bird 'just had to go'? Or was that defecation a protest towards me for making way through its hunting grounds?" I have to admit, the bird did have a perturbed look in its eye but maybe that was my imagination.
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| A Tern atop green can #7 of the entrance channel to Block Islands Great Salt Pond. I took this photo in May of 2013. Photo by Captain Bill Podzon. Sailing Hither and Thither. |
Later in the day after returning to port I pulled out a book I'd checked out from the library entitled, "THE UNCOMMON GUIDE to Common Life of Narragansett Bay". I've been reading the book sort of like a novel and think that maybe I've finally grasped a slightly above a layman's understanding of the difference between zooplankton and phytoplankton (as far as I presently understand, zooplankton are animals and phytoplankton are plants).
Well, I broke away from the reading of the book like a novel (you know, from beginning to end with no peeking ahead to ruin plot (alright, I admit that maybe I'd thumbed through to the bird section near the back but it is a reference book right?)) and boldly read the book as a field guide and happily found that low and behold there are a couple of pages on the LEAST TERN. And on the pages about the LEAST TERN in the "Distinguishing Features and Behaviors" section is the following paragraph.
"The size of this bird does not stop it from trying intimidation tactics to drive away predators. Like the common tern, they will swoop down on humans or other intruders and defecate on them."
From "THE UNCOMMON GUIDE to Common Life of Narragansett Bay", published by SAVE THE BAY in 1998.
Maybe the next time I find myself sailing towards a LEAST TERN I'll show the feisty bugger a little respect and arc around or come about or jibe.
Fair Winds
Captain Bill
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