339 : Common White (Fairy) Tern

Common White (Fairy) Tern - Gygis alba

I have had to move the Daily Bird from its previous location due to some technical difficulties on my part and my Google account. If you need to understand what this site is and what I am up to you can learn about that here . So we are picking it up at "339" with  fair way to go and a long period of not posting. I didn't stop birding last year or taking photographs - I just stopped posting. A bit like going to the gym though or saving money you have to dust yourself off and just get on with it again.

I had a few trips in 2016 one of which was a very special family holiday in the Seychelles. Its 4 1/2 flight from Dubai so very doable. We rented a villa on a resort and spent the week diving (a new venture with my now teenage boys), fishing, eating and pottering around in white sandy beaches. Obviously I collided with a few birds.

We can get a bit more specific with the geography. The Seychelles are just South of the equator about a thousand miles off the East coast of Africa (Kenya/Tanzania). There are perhaps 30 islands in an area 100 miles square (so 10,000 square miles of Indian ocean). The Central group are the largest granitic islands including the main island Mahe where we stayed. Further out are some coral and sand atols including "Bird Island" which is a world famous breeding spot but which will need to wait for a special trip another year.

I have been Mauritius before so I thought some of the birds would be familiar - I was pleasantly surprised to be able to pick up some great pictures of some new beautiful birds. This fairy tern was my attempt to replicate the beautiful cover of the Life on Earth DVD (or at least some versions of it) - the sun almost bursting through the translucent wings.

We stayed at the Constance Ephilia which was the treat of a lifetime. The resort is situated in the North-West of the island across a small peninsula. It buts onto a marine park which was obviously good for the diving. This is the view of the North facing beach.

The very first morning we were there I took a walk along the sand before breakfast and was entranced  by a pair of Fairy Terns dancing in a blue sky. if you were going to choose  bird for an island paradise then this would surely be it.

These birds are distributed right around the world on tropical islands. Clearly the ethereal white plumage stands out against this blue sky but they would usually hunt small fish near the surface at the beginning or end of the day. It is thought the white almost translucent plumage renders the bird invisible to small fish on the surface. Nature has rendered them both stealthy and beautiful.

I have quite a few Indian Ocean birds to post up from last year's Summer holiday. I will take the opportunity to post a few Conde Naste style azure and bleached sand holiday photos as well. Increasingly I find myself reading back the Daily Bird as for trips like e.g. Safaris its almost a journal once a few other pictures are added of the family holidays as well. I am sure you'll indulge me if you stray into these pages. In the meantime...

Common White (Fairy) Tern, Gygis alba
Constance Aphelia Resort, Mahe, Seychelles
August 2016