The Common Tern 



the downy little balls a few days old to those 

 able to fly, these precocious youngsters wander 

 around everywhere, and the first question of 

 the visitor is, "How can the old terns find their 

 own progeny amid such swarms of young 

 birds?" 



After one has remained quietly seated for 

 a time, the colony life continues in its usual 

 way. The birds soon alight, covering the 

 beaches and rocks. Occasionally small flocks 

 rest on the surface a short distance from shore. 

 It is an interesting fact that only near their 

 nesting sites do terns rest on the water. Sud- 

 denly, all the birds will take wing in mass, fly 

 out over the ocean, circle around and presently 

 return to land. This performance is repeated 

 often and without apparent cause. Terns 

 travel many miles in search of fish. Some are 

 constantly starting off empty-billed, others 

 returning, each wjth a shiner, sand ell, or other 

 small fry in its beak. Against the wind tliey 



43 



