Wrightsville Beach Bird Stewards: As the Summer Heats Up the Colony Continues To Grow

photo by Kathy Hannah

We are so excited to share fantastic news of the banding of 65 Black Skimmer chicks this month! We have banded a total of 83 Black Skimmer chicks this nesting season on the South End. Lindsay Addison, Audubon NC’s Coastal Biologist, invited an experienced group from UNCW, Airlie Gardens and her Coastal Team to capture and band chicks.

photo by Martin West

The chicks we band are approximately 3 weeks old…old enough that they are growing their feathers and not downy, can tolerate being held by a human and not flying yet. We were so happy to have so many skilled helpers to weigh and measure each chick’s total head measurement including its bill and wing chord. Only experienced individuals may go into the colony with Lindsay (Audubon NC’s Coastal Biologist) to find the chicks as they hide very well in all the vegetation. It was especially important because more nests (with eggs) and newly hatching chicks were seen in the colony.

Biologists learn so much from banding and re-sighting of the Black Skimmers. For example, we have confirmed this year that the chicks that hatch on the south end of Wrightsville Beach return to the south end of Wrightsville Beach as adults and nest! Bands give us PROOF!

Black Skimmers Show That Protecting One Beach Is Not Enough

Black Skimmer and Common Tern chicks have been hatching throughout the colony this past week and chicks are running around. We have a nice variety of chicks including older chicks that have developed their flight feathers and are beginning to fly. It is very entertaining to watch Black Skimmer parents “coaching” (encouraging) their chicks to fly using a fish for incentive! Watch the shoreline for both parents flying with their chick who is just taking off.

photo by Martin West

Parent Black Skimmers are also escorting their chicks to the water and the reaction of the chicks to that first feeling of water is priceless…. get your binoculars out and watch them up close.

photo by Kathy Hannah

Watch for parent birds returning to the colony with fish and they will lead you right to their sweet chicks. Feeding chicks is energy intensive for the parent birds.

photo by Tom Hanna

Common Terns have a unique behavior to spread out their chicks when feeding by making the chicks chase the parent coming in with fish so the biggest chick is not always the one to get the fish. I am so impressed with the Common Tern…they seem to know how to raise 2-3 chicks to fledge!

photo by Kathy Hannah

A few Black Skimmer and Common Tern chicks hatched this past week on the inlet side of the posting. Thank you to all of our beach guests who help reduce disturbance in the colony. This continues to be important because of the added heat stress during these hot summer days.

There is a nice variety of chicks in the colony right now. Older chicks have developed their flight feathers and are beginning to fly and learning to skim.

Skimmer Chicks

(photos by Kathy Hannah)