Graceful Catch: Forster’s Tern in Flight at Coyote Hills

优雅捕食：福氏燕鸥在科约特山飞翔

Captura elegante: Charrán de Forster en vuelo en Coyote Hills

Caption / 说明 / Leyenda:
A Forster’s Tern skillfully glides over the wetlands of Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont, CA, clutching its fresh catch. The bird’s elegant wings and focused gaze highlight the beauty and precision of nature’s hunters against the park’s serene backdrop.
一只福氏燕鸥在弗里蒙特科约特山区域公园的湿地上空灵巧滑翔，嘴中叼着刚捕获的小鱼。它优美的双翼和专注的目光展现了大自然猎手的美丽与精准，映衬着公园宁静的背景。
La habilidad instintiva de una gaviota real brilla al asegurar su presa, un fugaz beso de vida y luz capturado en el borde de Coyote Hills.

Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, California, USA

Camera & Lens: Canon R5 Mark II, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens + 1.4x extender
Settings: f/10, ISO 2000, 1/1600s, 560mm focal length

Theme: Wildlife in Action / Nature’s Grace / Light and Moment

Light Notes: Late afternoon sun casts a warm golden glow on the scene, highlighting the iridescence of the tern’s feathers and the shimmering surface of the water.

Mood/Intention: To freeze a split second of raw survival and beauty — the exact instant when nature’s hunger meets its shimmering reward.

Post-Processing Notes: Processed in ON1 Photo RAW 2025 with adjustments to enhance contrast and clarity, sharpened details on the bird’s head and fish, subtle color boost to emphasize golden tones.

What I Like / What I’d Improve:

Like — The sharpness of the bird’s eye and the water droplets perfectly freezing motion.
Improve — Would like to achieve a smoother background next time. This could be done by getting closer to the bird, increasing the distance to the background, or using a wider aperture (smaller f-stop) if the lens allows.

Inspiration / Reference:

Inspired by classic wildlife photographers who capture decisive moments of animal behavior, combined with an appreciation for light as a storytelling tool.

The Secret in Their Bones: Nature’s Blueprint for Strength

Birds are more than just beautiful creatures in flight — they are marvels of natural engineering. Terns, like the one pictured here, rely on an internal skeletal system that is strong yet lightweight, evolved perfectly for aerial mastery.

Their bones are hollow but reinforced with internal struts — much like architectural trusses — which maintain strength without the burden of weight. Scientists are studying these structures to design better materials and implants for human bone loss and osteoporosis. Some even mimic the microarchitecture of bird bones in 3D-printed scaffolds for regenerative medicine.

Unlike our own bones, which are dense and heavy, birds’ skeletal designs are optimized for precision and endurance. Their evolution didn’t prioritize size or brute force, but efficiency — an insight that may shape future medical advances here on Earth.

In this tern’s wings and its perfectly balanced flight, we glimpse millions of years of innovation in motion — a form of intelligence written in bone.

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For a deeper exploration of avian vision, instinct, and intelligence, read my previous post:

Kiss of Gold: What Birds Teach Us About Vision, Instinct, and Intelligence

Graceful Catch: Forster’s Tern in Flight at Coyote Hills