Squawking on water: Bird sets up its nest in the middle of a lake

By Daily Mail Reporter


The common tern has laid its eggs on a tiny island of salt in the middle of the calm lake


This house-proud seabird might not be able to walk on water - but has set up home on it instead.

The common tern has crafted an unusual nest in the middle of a calm lake, using just a tiny island of salt.

The mother seabird has laid two eggs in the middle of the sparkling salt, which rises gently out of the water in a small mound.

The mother seabird's home is in the middle of a salt factory in Atlit, Israel


The peaceful home, in the middle of a salt factory in Atlit, Israel, allows her to watch over her precious eggs - and the reflection even provides a useful mirror to admire herself in.

The beautiful scene was captured on camera by wildlife photographer Amnon Eichelberg, a 45-year-old economic consultant from Israel.

He said: 'The birds have set up nest in a salt factory near the town Atlit in the salt pools of the plant.

'The type of nest they are building there is a very unique and unlike nests on the ground - they use grains of salt on top the water.

'This common tern has two brown eggs in the nest, which she guards carefully for most of the day.

'She has a break ever hour or so, for 15 minutes at a time.

The bird has two brown eggs in the nest, which she guards carefully for most of the day

The reflection in the peaceful lake even provides a useful mirror for the bird to admire herself in


'One the day I took the photos, the conditions were excellent - it was about an hour before sunset and there wasn't any wind.

'I made sure I was hidden under cover so that I didn't disturb the birds, and all of a sudden this bird glided over the nest.

'It was almost as if she wanted me to take her picture with the beautiful reflection, so I hope the finished product is to her taste.'

The common tern - Sterna hirundo in Latin - is a seabird known to live in temperate and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and east and central North America.

It migrates to coastal tropical and subtropical regions in the winter and breeds in colonies on coasts, islands and freshwater lakes.


source:dailymail