Amanda Stuart, A Great Crested Tern takes flight (ANIMAL & NATURE 2023)

At our local beach, late afternoon, a juvenile great crested tern waddled in the shallows, its reflection highlighted in the water. I usually only see terns flying overhead, searching for a catch. As I watched, taking a few photos, the tern suddenly took off. It was a remarkable sight as its wing span was much greater than I expected.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.