Ciblek Mania

Standing on the dune along the Cape Canaveral National Seashore, I watched a foraging Forster's tern working the water just beyond the breaking waves. It flew parallel to the beach, heading north into the wind, looking down at the water for the silver flicker of sunlight reflecting off fish scales.

Catching sight of just such a flash, it stops, planting one wingtip in the invisible air, then cartwheeling into a dive.


Down like a lead arrow, bill-first it plunges. Splash!


Springing up from one Earth element into another, the tern shakes itself, sending small jewels of wet back to the foam. Nothing small and silvery wriggles in its bill. Nothing to show for such mastery of air and water.


And the tern turns again into the wind, pumping forward on white wings dusted with gray.


I watch from the sand—earthbound—slack-jawed and stirred at the wonder of it all.

It's time once again for the Bill of the Birds Caption Contest. Send me your clever caption for the image above and you'll be entered in a competition to win an overwhelmingly wonderful prize.

Deadline for entries is Sunday, April 5. I will announce a winner on Monday, April 6. The prize is an autographed copy of The Young Birder's Guide. Un-autographed copies of this best-selling field guide sell for $15. Autographed, it's worth about half that...but hey! It's FREE!

Good luck! Keep looking up (and don't forget to close your mouth when you do.)