14 Comments
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Teri Simonds's avatar

Fascinating! If I had only known about carrying a stick above my head when I was walking in Iceland. I can confirm the Arctic terns are relentless dive bombers.

Jerry's avatar

Yes indeed. Had to seek shelter in my camper van.

Cris Ramsdale's avatar

Birds are so cool. I saw a kingfisher yesterday and didn’t hear it yell but did see it fish. But the idea of terns possibly experiencing more daylight than any other living thing—if that isn’t poetry, I don’t know what is. I’ve been hooked on the idea of going to Svalbard and now I want to go even more (with a stick to wave).

J just J's avatar

This was a fascinating lesson.

Babbage's avatar

Just a wonderful post Mike, that brought joy to my morning. Thank you.

Simon Brooks's avatar

Love this. Fascinating. Thank you

Katherine Hoover's avatar

Thank you for a beautiful look into the life of a fellow creatures. Their impossible lives are fascinating. And, I so enjoy your thoughts on our possible inter-species shared "feelings".

Steve L's avatar

Thank you-what a terrific read. I love the distances and wonder involved in their flights but truly it's crowned by the beating up of polar bears. What a mighty creature in such a petite and beautiful package.

Corinne Dews's avatar

Very interesting! I first read about migration here...

https://creation.com/en/articles/wings-on-the-wind

Justin Difazzio's avatar

I love birds, and this was all news to me. So fascinating!!

Ivar Gabot's avatar

Mike Sowden

Few Beuks from MY Cleadon ( Reference ) Library :-

Been on Farne Islands years ( Coble engine failed on way back to Seahouses ) ago & Artic Terns continuously Divebombing !!!

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Birds of the Farnes

Peter Hewkey

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A Naturalist on Lindisfarne ( Including Fold Out Map - Holy Island of Lindisfarne & Bird Sightings Appendix )

Michael Perry

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Ivar Gabot

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Bard of Cleadon

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Barred of SLInked-In

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Other ( Fellow ) Poet's Thoughts :-

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Le Poete / Irish T'inker

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Rodin's Thinker

Irish T'inker

Represent Intellect

Le Poete - Respect !

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Lyrics by © HughofDurham@Gmail.com

© BardofCleadon@Gmail.com

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Ivar Gabot

Chartered Management Accountant

Lowest Paid Qualified Accountant for The Empress for over Twenty Years

( & THE BEST )

Philosopher Pauper and a Poet

Chilled Skilled Wordsmith

One Hundred and Sixty-Two Songs since Lockdown

One Hundred and Eighty-Eight in Total

Cleadon Library - Not a Business but a Mission to Educate the World One Book at a Time

Lisa Boice's avatar

ARCTIC TERNS!!!! The essay that got me first place 🥇 at Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers conference was about Arctic Terns! Their nonsensical migration is bananas!

Elizabeth Gahbler's avatar

Wonderful post, and the video of the tern feeding is magical. In the few long-distance sequences, the tern’s silhouette reminds me of a swift’s, another long-distance flier that just mesmerizes me. So amazing, these creatures.

Martin's avatar

Thanks Mike, you have put a lot of work into this very detailed study of one of God's creatures.

I don't see how anyone can think that such complexity, beauty and power in a tiny bird could have ever evolved from an accident that happened to "primordial slime" a few billion years ago. Such a belief is just a deep dive into insanity in a vain attempt to ignore the truth of God's wisdom and power as revealed in the Holy Bible.

Everything is amazing, but nothing is more amazing than people's belief in Evolution. Perhaps you could write a post about that?