Another tv amazing fact about Sooty terns is that the adults spend the entire non-breeding period—several months at a time—airborne over the open ocean without coming onto land. Because they have low-energy, highly aerodynamic bodies, they can keep themselves aloft with minimal physical effort while resting. Sooty terns manage to sleep while flying, taking ultra-short micro-naps that last only 1 to 3 seconds each. They do this continuously throughout the day and night while gliding on air currents over the ocean. #lordhoweisland #seabirds #flight #visitlordhoweisland #awesomenature
At my Birds of Lord Howe lecture tonight someone asked how many feathers does a bird have ? A bit of research shows: A bird can have anywhere from about 1,000 feathers to over 80,000 feathers, depending entirely on its species, size, and climate needs. Hummingbirds: Roughly 1,000 feathers Small Songbirds 1,500 to 4,000 feathers Birds of Prey 5,000 to 8,000 feathers Waterfowl: 20,000 to 25,000 feathers Penguins: Up to 80,000 dense, small feathers to survive extreme polar cold. And medium sized seabird such as a Sooty tern 3,000 to 5,000 feathers ! #lordhoweisland #seabirds #birdsofinstagram #lordhoweislandtourism #naturefacts
September is my favourite month for beachcombing. It is when we get the blue creatures arrive. They are not all bad – take a close look at bluebottle’s extraordinary structures and colours; walk the beach to discover the other creatures – the By-the-Wind sailor with its little sail on top; blue barnacles attached to these; floating Violet snails that eat the bluebottles; barnacles growing on their shell; blue crabs eating these barnacles; and the Blue Sea lizard eating bluebottles and sailors. An extraordinary city of blue creatures floating overt the ocean and get blown ashore at Lord Howe each September. #lordhoweisland #naturephotography #lordhoweislandtourism #worldheritage #beachcombing
Spring is very close now that Sooty terns are coming closer to the island. They have been around in the air for many weeks now, but wait until ocean timing is right before landing to lay eggs and raise their young. Circling endlessly in big groups off the island #lordhoweisland #seabirds #visitlordhoweisland #naturephotography #worldheritage
