{"id":1460,"date":"2009-08-17T10:08:31","date_gmt":"2009-08-17T09:08:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.permuted.org.uk\/photography\/archives\/1460"},"modified":"2013-11-13T21:08:15","modified_gmt":"2013-11-13T21:08:15","slug":"the-tern-of-the-tide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.permuted.org.uk\/photography\/the-tern-of-the-tide\/","title":{"rendered":"The Tern of the Tide"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

I headed over to Rottingdean beach today. The main area was crowded, but the tide was out so I headed along to the rock pools. Families were out with nets and buckets searching for sea life. I moved further along the shore to where the sea birds were gathering. <\/p>\n

A small flock of black-headed gulls were settled in among the rocks, and as I approached I noticed that mixed in with them were a couple of sandwich terns. I don't see these often, but they do seem to like to mix with the smaller gulls. I made my way out over the rocks. The sun had dried out the seaweed (so it wasn't slippery), so with care I reached a decent viewing point and settled down to watch.<\/p>\n

\"sandwichAdult sandwich tern<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"sandwichPreening<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

After a few minutes, the terns decided to move on. They made a couple of short hops along the shore. I followed.
\"sandwichOn the wing<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"sandwichJuvenile tern<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

They settled again, and I made may way out far enough across the rock pools to have a good line of sight from a small rocky mound. It was just large enough to take the camera bag (which I used to support the camera) and allow me to squat down.<\/p>\n

\"sandwichJuvenile tern<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"sandwichCalling<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"sandwichJuvenile calling<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

I was paying too much attention to the birds. I'd had to adjust the camera bag a couple of time as it had slipped, leaving the straps dangling in the sea water. I thought nothing of it. Maybe I should have been looking at the water level. This shot was taken several minutes are the previous one. That young tern is in danger of getting wet feet.<\/p>\n

\"sandwichJuvenile getting wet feet<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

And several minute later… Yes, the tern decides it's far too wet here and decides it's time to go.<\/p>\n

\"sandwichReady to leave<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

With the terns moving off, I looked around. 'Oh dear,' I thought… (possibly in slightly less polite language). I was sure there had been a path out here. Where's it gone? All I could see behind me for 20 yards or so was water. It wasn't deep, but it had been bone dry on the way out and it was now thoroughly submerged. There was nothing for it but to wade back. I packed the camera safely away (I was at least sensible enough to minimize the risk of it getting a soaking). The water wasn't too deep, and I got back to dry land safely enough with just a pair wet boots for my trouble. That got me to a part of the beach just in front of the sea wall. The tide comes in all the way here, and at high tide it's deep. Really deep. So I needed to get back to the top. <\/p>\n

I knew there were steps back towards the main area, but instead I headed in the other direction to where some people with a dog were still out enjoying the sunshine. I was looking for steps that would take me back up to the cliff path that runs at the top of the sea wall. Mistake number two. They hadn't used steps… they'd climbed down. There was probably enough time for me to head back in the other direction to where I know there are steps (at worst I would have had to paddle a few times), but I gave it a go and clambered the 20 feet or so up the rocks to safety. I made it up easily enough, but it was sufficiently awkward to make me wonder what the heck I was doing. On the way back along the cliff walk I took a shot of where I'd been about 15 minutes earlier. You can see the problem I could have had if I hadn't moved away when I did.
<\/span> Submerged rock pools<\/span><\/p>\n

And if I hadn't moved, I'm sure these guys would have saved me…
<\/span> <\/p>\n

There's a simple lesson here… "When out watching terns on the tide, watch out for the tide that turns."
\"Nature<\/a><\/span>
Camera note: all shots taken with the EF 400mm f\/5.6L USM lens (some with a Kenko Teleplus 1.4x Pro 300 DG teleconverter).<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[989],"tags":[569,570],"class_list":["post-1460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-water-birds-birds-2","tag-terns","tag-tide","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t