If you are going to the nesting colony just once a week, you may want to come more often for the next couple weeks because there is cuteness everywhere!! We have been watching the Oystercatcher chick grow like crazy since Memorial Day weekend and now we are starting to spot Black Skimmer chicks and the Common Tern chicks too!!
Lindsay discovered the Black Skimmers were starting to hatch on Saturday (6/7) during her regular nest check. Garold, Michelle, and Jeannie have all spotted black skimmer chicks with their binoculars and scopes within the last 2 days. Just be watchful for parents coming back to the colony with fish and follow them with your optics…they will lead you right to the nest and you can see the little ones!
Marlene was able to assist Lindsay with her nest check on Monday morning (6/9) and took a couple of pictures to share with you with her iPhone.
Black Skimmer hatchlings are so adorable…..
NESTING ACTIVITY
The Black Skimmers have over 100 nests now, and are scraping and laying more eggs and incubating, hatching and feeding! Lots of activity now! Nests are located in the front of the highway, and the side dunes, so if you are on ocean front side of the nesting area, you will be able to show people skimmers there too. Follow the adults coming in with fish with your optics and you will see chicks!
We now have 12 Common Tern nests and they are also hatching. A few more pictures that I took yesterday morning with my iPhone during the nest check with Lindsay…. Notice the sophisticated nest the common tern builds compared to the scrapes of the other birds….
Least Terns are still in the area and continue to make scrapes. It is difficult for them to be successful with small numbers and the local crow “murder”, but they keep trying. I love that! I will keep you posted if we see any eggs. We saw a number of scrapes ocean side along the side dunes.
The first Oystercatcher pair has one remaining chick which can be seen sound side being fed regularly by the parents. This little guy is getting big! Layne has been referring to him as “Rye” as in Catcher in the Rye…. I think it is catchy!! The second pair seems to have lost their remaining chick. The other two pairs are still in the dunes and incubating their eggs.
LUMINA NEWS ARTICLE ABOUT NORTH END OF WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH….
This week’s issue of the Lumina News has an article detailing the poor condition of the posting at the north end of Wrightsville Beach and the devastating effect on the birds that were nesting in the area over the Memorial Day holiday. Lindsay has several important comments.
We encourage you to read the article and if you are so motivated, consider writing a short Letter to the Editor supporting appropriate management of the area to support nesting shorebirds and sea turtles.
Here is a link to the article….
http://luminanews.com/2014/06/bird-nesting-disrupted-as-negotiations-continue/
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