Black Skimmer and American Oystercatcher Nests Found

Photo by Evan Mauk

Lindsay Addison, our Audubon NC Coastal Biologist, did a nest check on the south end yesterday morning (Friday 4/28) and we now officially have SCRAPES WITH EGGS, i.e., NESTS!!  Lindsay discovered both Black Skimmer nests and Oystercatcher nests!

We have been witnessing courtship behaviors all week and have had a number of photographers already visiting the nesting colony.  The Black Skimmers and Common Terns have been busy with pair bonding, fish presentations and mating.  

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS – Both pairs of Oystercatchers have nests!  Oystercatcher banded EMY and mate who are seen on the inlet side have now nested.   EMY is the adult Oystercatcher that had a successful fledging in 2021.  The nest is in the interior of the posting on the inlet side

Oystercatcher pair banded CT4 and CFO have been seen ocean side and their nest is in front of the tallest dunes and relatively close to the Black Skimmers.  We have not had an Oystercatcher nest visible from outside of the posting for many years so this is very exciting.

Photo by Evan Mauk

Photo by Evan Mauk 
Look closely and you will see a transmitter on the back of this Oystercatcher. 
NC Audubon in partnership with others is conducting a movement research project on American Oystercatchers in NC. 

On Friday (4/28) afternoon and 5 Oystercatchers were seen in the posting …so there is a possibility of another pair claiming a territory in the posted area.  We have plenty of room for a few more pairs of Oystercatchers! 

BLACK SKIMMERS – Black Skimmers have been arriving in groups since mid April. We try to count them, but it is extremely difficult when they are paired up in the vegetation!  When they are by the water it is possible at that time to see if any birds have bands on their legs.  

These next photos show two skimmers with bands…P3 and R9!  Our Skimmer chicks from the past few years are returning!

Photo by Hongjin Bian

Photo by Hongjin Bian

Photo by Hongjin Bian

Photo by Hongjin Bian

Photo by Hongjin Bian

Photo by Evan Mauk 

Photo by Evan Mauk 

Photo by Evan Mauk 

COMMON TERNS – Six pairs of Common Terns were on the beach Friday, 4/28.  Pair bonding and mating continues and it appears incubation of eggs is underway!

Photo by Evan Mauk 

Photo by Evan Mauk 

LEAST TERNS – We continue to see a handful of Least Terns fishing and flying overhead, but have not seen any in the nested area this week.

PUBLIC BIRD WALKS START MONDAY – 

 Free bird walks to the south end nesting area for the public every Monday at 9 AM beginning, this Monday, May 1 until mid-August.  Join us!  Invite your friends & family!!  We will meet at the gazebo at Beach Access 43.

Nesting Shorebirds Arriving at South End of Wrightsville Beach

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS – The Oystercatcher banded EMY and “unbanded” mate who are seen consistently on the inlet side have been making scrapes, but our NC Audubon biologist has not seen any eggs.   EMY is the adult Oystercatcher that had a successful fledging in 2021.  

Oystercatcher banded CT4 and mate CF0 have been seen ocean side.  CT4 nested last year but lost the chicks within days.

Remember the birds may practice making scrapes during courtship, but scrapes are only considered “nests” once they have eggs in them.

BLACK SKIMMERS – Black Skimmers have been arriving in groups.  We counted 122 this week!

Five Black Skimmers with black leg bands were seen at the water’s edge which mean they were banded in North Carolina by our NC Audubon biologist, Lindsay, and her coast team in the last few years.  These birds were banded as chicks and have returned!  How cool is that!

COMMON TERNS – You may see the Common Terns on the signs and several pairs have begun fish presentations and courtship activity.  Three pairs were seen in the interior of the posting close to the high dunes.

LEAST TERNS – A handful of Least Terns have been seen flying over the south end with fish!  A significant group of Least Terns is present on the north end of Wrightsville Beach and New Hanover County has extended the north end posting to accommodate the bird activity.

OTHER GUESTS — Several pairs of Willets are in the dunes and we hope to see them on the shoreline with their chicks in a few weeks. 

Groups of Royal Terns and Sandwich Terns
have also visited the nesting area.

Tenth Anniversary for the Wrightsville Beach Bird Steward Program Begins

 We are very excited to begin our 10th year of posting the south end of Wrightsville Beach.  The nesting shorebirds will soon be arriving and on March 28 an ambitious group of Wrightsville Beach Bird Stewards showed up to set off a protected area to welcome them. 

Lindsay Addison delivered the new signs to the shoreline and helped get us organized. 

Our team divided into several groups and quickly got started. One group carried the signs to the appropriate place.  

Another group dug the holes for the posts and then the posts needed to be secured in the sand. 

Several volunteers cleaned out litter from inside the posting.. with some interesting finds😁

And then it was time to add the string to remind our summer guests to give the birds some space to nest and raise their new chicks this summer. 

While we are waiting for the Least Terns, Common Terns, American Oystercatchers and Black Skimmers to arrive and begin courting, nesting, and raising new chicks we saw some Common Loons in the surf. 

And one of the volunteers discovered a Killdeer nest in the dunes. The parent bird does a broken wing display to draw people away from the nest. The nest is not visible from outside the posting, but you may see the adult bird on occasion as they take a break from incubating the eggs. What an exciting beginning to our 10th season!