An emotional state
The Arctic Terns on Westray are bringing a succession of fish in to their youngsters. The beach is crowded with them.
Some are strong enough to fly by themselves now and are making short, swooping, ungainly flights along the shore.
The parents have been ignoring me for hours. I’ve been sitting in my van with my camera out of the window, or standing behind the open car door to get a better angle and had no problems with them. Occasionally one will return with a fish, spot me, and give a warning ‘chip’ call as it sees me, nothing more.
It’s when a Great Black Backed Gull flies past that everything changes.
Great Black Backed Gulls are predators and will take a juvenile Arctic Tern given the chance. As soon as one appears, the adult Arctic Terns rise from the colony and pursue and attack it, diving down to peck it if they can, while it speeds off.
Arctic Terns appear to keep an emotional state. Having seen off the Great Black Backed Gull they then turn their attention to me and come over with loud and long calls “Waaaaaahhh”. They’ve ignored me for hours and now they’re ‘upset’?
They soon calm down, but how interesting was that? After a real threat, I was treated as if I was one too, even though they hadn’t treated me like that for hours.
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