Weekly Bird Challenge: Arctic Tern.

The bird challenge this week calls for shots of the same bird(s) in colour and then in Monochrome.

Whilst I love processing in monochrome, I’ve not done it for birds before.

Never say never. So here goes……

The tiny Isle of May, off the Fife coast in Scotland, is renowned for its many, many thousands of puffins in the breeding season . But when you get off the small ferry that takes you over to the island, you have to walk alongside the breeding grounds of Arctic Terns, before you are anywhere near a puffin.

The boatman’s advice is to “Keep to the roped-off path, walk quickly, and WEAR A HAT”.

These feisty little birds, having flown from Iceland and beyond in order to breed, aren’t going to let anyone disturb their exposed nests on the shore. As soon as the ferry docks, they take to the air and mount a concerted (and noisy) campaign of dive-bombing the birdwatchers.

I can assure you that their beaks are as sharp as they look ,when they peck at your head (even through your hat)! And rightly so as it is their territory. (I should add that visitor numbers to the island are strictly controlled and supervised).