Common Terns and American Oystercatchers Appear to Be Nesting

American Oystercatchers

Five oystercatchers were seen during our bird walk Monday, May 8, including one banded with CT4.  On Saturday (5/5) an oystercatcher was seen on a nest using binoculars -- didn’t even need to use a scope!  The oystercatcher was there again Monday morning!  Stand outside the posting at access 43 about half way to the water and scan the highest dunes towards the inlet with your binoculars…going towards the coast guard station. 

photo by Jacquelyn Lindner

photo by Jacquelyn Lindner

Common Terns

Two pairs of Common Terns are in the area and one pair appears to have a nest on one of the back dunes which is visible with binoculars from the access 43 area. Keep scanning those dunes!!

Black Skimmers 

The skimmers are “courting” and roosting by the inlet and across the inlet from the South End.  They appear to like an area of open sand between the dunes which makes them difficult to see from outside the posting unless you are by the inlet and watching them fly into the posted area.  Approximately 300 Black Skimmers were counted on Friday hanging out by the inlet.  Over 100 mobbed four Fish Crows on Saturday.

Least Terns 

We have not seen Least Terns courting or nesting on the South End.  We believe they are leaving the South End to go elsewhere where there is sand that has better camouflage, i.e., more shells!  Lea-Hutaff Island has Least Terns incubating eggs!

Weekly Monday Bird Walks

Hope you can join us on one of our Bird Walks.