{"id":56623,"date":"2019-03-15T05:40:22","date_gmt":"2019-03-15T11:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=56623"},"modified":"2025-09-18T06:15:23","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T11:15:23","slug":"royal-tern-splashing-and-bathing-in-a-florida-lagoon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/03\/15\/royal-tern-splashing-and-bathing-in-a-florida-lagoon\/","title":{"rendered":"Royal Tern Splashing And Bathing In A Florida Lagoon"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"RoyalRoyal Tern splashing and bathing – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/1250, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This image of a splashing and bathing Royal Tern in a Florida lagoon was taken nearly ten years ago and I’d never processed it until today. I can recall laying partially in the water and partially in the wet sand at the edge of the lagoon to take this photo to obtain the lowest angle possible. I like the flying water droplets, the eye contact with the tern and the little wavelet in front of the tern’s body.<\/p>\n

This is the time of the year when these large terns are in their breeding plumage and they are looking for mates for the breeding season.<\/p>\n

I’ll be blunt this morning, I had more that I wanted to write about this photo and Royal Terns in general but when I woke this morning and saw the news about the attacks on the mosques in New Zealand I knew I just didn’t have it in me to write more. I’ve been to Christchurch, met wonderful people there and I truly can’t imagine the horror they are dealing with.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Royal Tern photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This image of a splashing and bathing Royal Tern in a Florida lagoon was taken nearly ten years ago and I’d never processed it until today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":156605,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,25,704,2000,407],"tags":[4004,4373,4053,5132,3997,4376,2688,2090,629,4267,3996,5110],"class_list":["post-56623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-pinellas-county-florida","category-royal-terns","tag-adult","tag-bathing","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-coastal","tag-lagoon","tag-royal-tern","tag-splashing","tag-tern","tag-terns","tag-thalasseus-maximus","tag-water","tag-water-droplets"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/royal-tern-bathing-mia-mcpherson-5564.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-eJh","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16038,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/10\/05\/a-royal-bath\/","url_meta":{"origin":56623,"position":0},"title":"A Royal Bath","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"These two bathing Royal Tern images remind me of the warm April morning when I spent time photographing different species splashing around in the Gulf of Mexico.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bathing Royal Tern, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/royal-tern-bathing-mia-mcpherson-5558.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/royal-tern-bathing-mia-mcpherson-5558.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/royal-tern-bathing-mia-mcpherson-5558.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/royal-tern-bathing-mia-mcpherson-5558.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6497,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/11\/04\/royal-terns-in-breeding-and-nonbreeding-plumage\/","url_meta":{"origin":56623,"position":1},"title":"Royal Terns In Breeding And Nonbreeding Plumage","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 4, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Just a simple post today to show the differences in the breeding and nonbreeding plumage of Royal Terns.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Royal Tern in nonbreeding plumage, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/royal-tern-nonbreeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-5895.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/royal-tern-nonbreeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-5895.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/royal-tern-nonbreeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-5895.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/royal-tern-nonbreeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-5895.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14702,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/04\/06\/breeding-and-nonbreeding-caspian-terns\/","url_meta":{"origin":56623,"position":2},"title":"Breeding And Nonbreeding Caspian Terns","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Soon Caspian Terns will be back in Utah flying over rivers, ponds, lakes, and other freshwater impoundments searching for prey.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Caspian Tern in flight, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/caspian-tern-nonbreeding-flight-mia-mcpherson-0894.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/caspian-tern-nonbreeding-flight-mia-mcpherson-0894.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/caspian-tern-nonbreeding-flight-mia-mcpherson-0894.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/caspian-tern-nonbreeding-flight-mia-mcpherson-0894.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46464,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/04\/25\/royal-terns-courting-in-florida\/","url_meta":{"origin":56623,"position":3},"title":"Royal Terns Courting in Florida","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The \"Circling\" courtship behavior of Royal Terns was one that I found interesting because as the male circled the female she moved too and kept her sides facing him.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Royal Terns courting, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/royal-tern-courtship-mia-mcpherson-0551.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/royal-tern-courtship-mia-mcpherson-0551.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/royal-tern-courtship-mia-mcpherson-0551.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/royal-tern-courtship-mia-mcpherson-0551.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7300,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/01\/28\/the-answer-to-the-gull-and-tern-quiz-is\/","url_meta":{"origin":56623,"position":4},"title":"The Answer To The Gull And Tern Quiz Is…","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 28, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The majority of you voted for the correct answer: Juvenile Herring Gull, 1st winter Laughing Gull and Royal Tern","rel":"","context":"In "American Herring Gulls"","block_context":{"text":"American Herring Gulls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gulls\/herring-gulls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Royal Tern in breeding plumage with gift for mate, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/royal-tern-breeding-mia-mcpherson-6391.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/royal-tern-breeding-mia-mcpherson-6391.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/royal-tern-breeding-mia-mcpherson-6391.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/royal-tern-breeding-mia-mcpherson-6391.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7521,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/02\/14\/sandwich-terns-love-is-in-the-air\/","url_meta":{"origin":56623,"position":5},"title":"Sandwich Terns – Love Is In The Air","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 14, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I can recall clearly the day I took this photograph of Sandwich Terns mating. I was sitting very low in a tidal lagoon on the north beach of Fort De Soto County Park in Florida.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sandwich Terns \u2013 Love is in the air, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/sandwich-terns-mating-mia-mcpherson-5832.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/sandwich-terns-mating-mia-mcpherson-5832.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/sandwich-terns-mating-mia-mcpherson-5832.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/sandwich-terns-mating-mia-mcpherson-5832.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}