Royal Tern, Morro Strand State Beach, Morro Bay, CA -- Oct. 9, 2006

 
Royal Tern, Morro Strand State Beach, Morro Bay, CA -- Oct. 9, 2006
(Thalasseus maximus, syn. Sterna maxima)
(1/6th resolution version 497x373 is displayed above for quick viewing 
( high-res version JPG, 2980x2235, for best 1.3:1 printing (12"x16")  1.65 MB)  (12"x16" print quality is okay)
The bill size and shape would seem to indicate that this is a Royal Tern. 
02feb2008 local birding expert Maggie Smith says "I would say that's a Royal Tern. I'm judging by size, shape and color of bill and the narrow black band on the head:." Thanks Maggie!
See Flickr comments.

Technical:  Canon 5D, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens w/ EF 1.4X II Extender, 1/1600 shutter priority, f/8.0, ISO 640, on monopod.  This image has been somewhat enhanced in Photoshop - the most dramatic "manipulation" is the use of a gradient fill to darken the "sky"...  I took this shot late in the day (~5PM), standing in the water at a very low tide... the bird was over the water but between me and the beach  (you can see its wing touching the water), and the background was in fact not the sky, but of the sky and vegetation reflecting on golden wet sand, which reduced the contrast of the subject I was looking for.

Copyright © 2005, 2006 Michael L. Baird - contact mike at mikebaird dot com or mike at bairdphotos dot com.  You can use any picture posted on StealThisPicture.com for personal, non-profit, or non-commercial purpose, with attribution as follows: "Photo by Michael L. Baird."  You may not sell them or remove any copyright notice if contained within the picture, or publish them in a magazine or other commercial publication or on a Web site without written or e-mail permission from me.  NEW BairdPhotos.com now lists most of my photo sites...  See more of my photos at morro-bay.com/digitalchocolate (same as morro-bay.com/digitalchocolate), morro-bay.com including morro-bay.com/photos-maps/, BirdFest.org, MorroStrand.com and others including LuLu.com/mikebaird and many more at BirdsofMorroBay.com,  picasaweb.google.com/mikebaird/ and flickr.com/photos/mikebaird

StealThisPicture.com home