Photo of the Moment – Poised
One Arctic Tern ( Sterna paradisaea ) taking off, one landing. Both poised midair, one leaving and one returning to the nest. This is one of my favourite photos, a motionless instant frozen in time.
It was taken on the Farne Islands, which are clustered off the coast of Northumberland. It was a grey and rainy day as the boat headed out, with the promise of strong winds in the afternoon. But it turned out to be one of the best days for taking photos; the clouds provided an perfect backdrop for this image and the rain held off. And the gusty winds? Well, you can't have everything…