Least Tern Chicks

I was able to get out to one of the Least Tern colonies near my house to look for chicks and was not disappointed.  While I did find one abandoned Common Tern nest and one deceased Least Tern chick (that was likely only a few days old) there were a dozen or so chicks (and I suspect that some have fledged already) that were active on the island.  I'd never photographed chicks of these species before so the results are a great for me.

For more about birds that dot our shores (and yes, I know the Least Tern is not a shorebird) check out Shorebirds of North America: The Photographic Guide