First Bird Walk a SUCCESS!

Our first weekly bird walk was held Monday, April 25. There were 16 eager participants who were excited to learn more about our nesting colony at the south end of Wrightsville Beach. Happily the weather and our birds cooperated!  There was plenty of action and least terns, common terns, black skimmers, oystercatchers, and willets were all present and accounted for.

One of our guests was Bradley Hoffman, a 14 year old boy visiting from New York. Here are some amazing photographs he took of our cast of characters....

American Oystercatchers

 Common Terns

Least Terns 

(Least Tern Decoys)

Willets

Black Skimmers

Hope you can join us for a Monday Bird Walk soon!

Ever wonder what a "bird steward" does?

Audubon video about the Wrightsville Beach Bird Steward program
                                  (Click on link above to view video.)

Black Skimmers

Here are two photos of Black Skimmers taken this morning (4/23) by Mary Ann Walton. Each tells its own story. We seem to have an active group of Black Skimmers in the nesting area and they appear to be busy catching fish in the inlet.  Thanks for the pictures, Mary Ann!

Black Skimmer Party on the Beach!

Look at the Black Skimmer "beach club" population seen this morning (April 20).  Compare this with the 20 pioneers found on Monday.  We estimate about 80-100 now and this may not be the whole community! Hoping this is a sign of great things to come this summer. 

Another reason not to miss Monday's Bird Walk!

Photo by Don Ellson 

Skimmers, Least Terns, and Oystercatchers are arriving!

When one of our WB Bird Stewards was on the beach this morning (April 18), he was surprised by how many birds are already there.  Besides the previously observed Least Terns and Oystercatchers about 20 Black Skimmers were in the posting area.  The Skimmers were seen by the water but may be nesting out of sight behind the first row of dunes.  In addition several Royal Terns made an appearance.

Thanks to Don Ellson for sharing these photos!

 Our first "official" Bird Walk is Monday, April 25th. Hope you can join us!  

A New Nesting Season Begins (April 3, 2016)

Last weekend an excited, enthusiastic, energetic group of Wrightsville Beach Bird Stewards eagerly set out to put up the postings for the 2016 nesting season at the south end of Wrightsville Beach.

While we were out on the beach both a Common Loon and a Red-throated Loon watched us in the nearby surf.  Not sure how long they will hang around but it was fun watching them.

AND, although it is early in the season... we saw several American Oystercatchers and a pair of courting Least Terns on the beach.