Ian James Photography

Midair Discussion

The thousands of Arctic Terns (Sterna paradisaea) nesting on the Farne Islands seemed to take offense at the visitors, diving and swooping down as people ran towards shelter.

These hovering terns provide an excellent example of what I love about photography: the ability to capture an infinitesimally small moment that the eye would not have been able to register. The spread of the wing, the use of the tail as a brake, the translucency of the feathers – all of this can be appreciated to a larger extent when frozen in time.

However, I will say that it is quite hard to take all of this in when the terns are swooping and jabbing at your head!