Least Tern at Lovers Key State Park
Fort Myers Beach, Florida USA

Story Behind the Shot:
The Least Tern was prolific in the 2008 season at Lovers Key State Park (as photographed here) with a count exceeding 200 breeding pairs as officially documented. There was a significant decline in the species' presence, as I observed in the 2009 season, most likely due to the beach erosion and the ensuing pedestrian traffic at the park which became extremely close to the birds that like to nest very near the surf of the Gulf of Mexico. I observed the Least Tern in abundance at Tigertail Beach to the south this year.