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Sterna albifrons Chicks (Family: Sternidae; common name: Little tern)
We kept watching the adults prior and during the breeding period. We spotted a couple of nests and kept notes to try to visit them at a later stage to find the youngsters. After spending many hours in the mud, under the hot sun, we were lucky to find a nest with chicks. The photos clearly show the ability of those young birds to blend with the background; if they sit still they are completely invisible. The chicks are able to swim at a very early stage and you can see them either swimming or resting on a bed of green algae. They also tend to rest on the ground which is quite dangerous as an unsuspecting walker can actually step on them before noticing their presence (photo taken from behind and above). We used a ruler to measure one of the chicks (measured at 7 cm). Two of these photos are quite special to us: the photo of the chick resting on a shell from a hunting rifle (what a contrast!) and the one with the chick resting next to the egg shell which used to be its home till it hatched. Notice the fifth photo, with the two young chicks hiding under the protective wings of their mother.
Photos by Mahi Goula and George Parchas
Shooting Data:
1. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 100-400mmf/4.5-5.6L USM IS @ 100mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/640 sec - f/8, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: NEF edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
2. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 100-400mmf/4.5-5.6L USM IS @ 92mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/640 sec - f/8, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: NEF edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
3. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 24-105mmf/4.0L IS USM @ 55mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/640 sec - f/8, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: NEF edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
4. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 24-105mmf/4.0L IS USM @ 55mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/640 sec - f/8, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: NEF edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
5. Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 100-400mmf/4.5-5.6L USM IS @ 400mm
Sensitivity: ISO 160
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/160 sec - f/10, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: NEF edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
6. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 24-105mmf/4.0L IS USM @ 55mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/640 sec - f/8, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: NEF edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
7. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 100-400mmf/4.5-5.6L USM IS @ 400mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/500 sec - f/8, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: NEF edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
8. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 100-400mmf/4.5-5.6L USM IS @ 400mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/400 sec - f/8, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: NEF edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
9. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 100-400mmf/4.5-5.6L USM IS @ 400mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/400 sec - f/8, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: NEF edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
10. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 100-400mmf/4.5-5.6L USM IS @ 260mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/400 sec - f/8, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: NEF edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
11. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 100-400mmf/4.5-5.6L USM IS @ 260mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/400 sec - f/8, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: NEF edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
12. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 100-400mmf/4.5-5.6L USM IS @ 400mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/400 sec - f/8, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: NEF edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
13. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF 100-400mmf/4.5-5.6L USM IS @ 400mm
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/320 sec - f/8, Manual mode
Flash: No flash
Image: NEF edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized. | 
