It's Chick Time!

All four nesting shorebirds that come to the south end of Wrightsville Beach have chicks!  With a little time and patience you will be able to see Least Tern, Common Tern, Black Skimmer and American Oystercatcher chicks running around on the beach. 

The American Oystercatcher chicks are growing!

A nest count was done Tuesday (6/1) morning so we have some numbers to share.

LEAST TERNS (LETE) – Incubation and hatching continues for the Least Terns and most of the day is spent protecting their chicks from predators.  As the days become hotter, you will see the parent birds continuing to protect their chicks from heat stress by shading them or standing close to the chicks as the chicks seek shelter/shade by a nearby plant.  You will also notice more wooden chick shelters placed in the colony.  We are hopeful that the shelters will protect the Least Tern chicks from heat stress and also make it more difficult for the Gull-billed Terns to hunt them. In addition, Ruddy Turnstones, Ghost Crabs, various gulls, and crows continue to seek out Least Tern eggs and chicks.   

Only two LETE chicks were seen early Tuesday morning but over 100 LETE are re-nesting. 

The Least Terns have been seen going after a Great Black-backed Gull that waits by the shoreline hoping for a chick dinner.

photo by Cordelia Norris

COMMON TERNS (COTE) – Common Tern chicks can be seen on top of the dunes oceanside and on the sound side.  We have 15 Common Tern nests throughout the posting.

photos by LeAnne Perry

photo by LeAnne Perry

BLACK SKIMMERS (BLSK) –  We counted 166 Black Skimmer nests and a few are beginning to hatch. Chicks can also be seen Oceanside just below the Common Tern nest that is on top of the dune as well as on the sound side  Courtship, mating, nesting and incubation continues. 

photo by Stan Washlesky

photos by LeAnne Perry

Watch the video below closely and you will see one Black Skimmer chick slip underneath the parent at the very beginning and then a second chick meanders in and the parent seemingly scoops it under a wing.

OYSTERCATCHERS (AMOY) – We have two Oystercatcher chicks on the beach from the AMOY pair that nested on the inlet side of the colony.  The Oystercatcher family made its appearance early Monday morning (5/24).   So adorable you will just want to watch them all day!  We encourage you to stop and enjoy this unique opportunity to see Oystercatcher chicks.  It is very important that the chicks are able to get to the water so please observe them from a safe distance. 

photos by LeAnne Perry

photo by LeAnne Tyler

It appears that the other Oystercatcher pair has lost their chicks.  CT4 and mate were seen together on the Oceanside of the nesting colony…together without chicks on Sunday and Monday, (5/23 & 24).

Don't let the rain keep you away too long.  There is lots to see at the south end of Wrightsville Beach this week.

(all uncredited photos by Kathy Hannah)