Subject: [Tweeters] Re Arctic Terns
Date: Apr 4 15:16:03 2006
From: Steve Ellis - sellis at coup.wednet.edu


I believe Arctic Terns are one of the birds of the week.
These guys are very aggressive at defending the nest site. When I was a
lad we lived for a time on a lake north of Anchorage Alaska. A pair of terns
nested each year in the wetlands at one end of the lake. It was fun watching
them attack what ever was in the neighborhood: eagles, Common Ravens, and
once I saw the pair band together to harass a black bear that was sloshing
through the swamp.
Once a summer I'd paddle a boat near the edge of their territory ( I was
counting muskrats for the Ak. Dept. of Fish and Game). One of them actually
struck me on the back of my head as I ducked for cover! And as one of my
mother's genteel friends said, " They try to dirty on you.". All too soon
they'd leave the area and head south and the lake would be a little
lonelier.
Steve Ellis
Coupeville, ( No Arctics, but have seen Commons and Caspians), Wa
sellis at coup.wednet.edu