Photographing the Nesting Colony

 We have some important reminders for our folks who enjoy photography at the south end of Wrightsville Beach…

Black Skimmers at the shoreline with their fledglings. 
Photo taken at a safe distance to minimize disturbance.

As you know, the 2023 nesting season has been extremely difficult for the birds due to stormy weather around Memorial Day that struck while the first nests were incubating. In addition to the weather, the Town’s concerns about leaving enough space for vehicles to drive on the beach meant that the posting is much more narrow than it should be, leaving no buffer between the nesting birds and beachgoers. It’s typical for the posting to be narrow on the west side of the site, but this year the east (ocean) side is extremely narrow as well. While the Least Terns lost most of their nests to the weather, Black Skimmers and Common Terns, which were closest to the string fencing, lost theirs to predation, mostly by Ruddy Turnstones which peck open the eggs whenever they are unattended.

After the failure of the first wave of nesting, the Least Terns, Black Skimmers, and Common Terns began nesting again and were incubating eggs and hatching chicks throughout July.The habitat was best for them on the east (ocean) side of the posting. July and August incubation has been critically challenging because of the excessive heat and the continued disturbance of photographers and beachgoers. We expanded the posting as much as we could and we removed signs to prevent causal visitors from walking up to read them. But, we still face challenges when people choose to approach the birds, including because they want to take pictures of them.

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY DISTURBANCE BY PHOTOGRAPHERS?

Least Terns and Black Skimmers with chicks are favorite subjects for photographers and photography groups. Photography is a great way to appreciate birds, but it can also be harmful, regardless of whether or not the photographer realizes it.

Disturbance is any activity that causes the birds to change their behavior. The feelings or intentions a person has towards birds has no bearing on whether or not the person’s actions have a negative impact. Approaching so closely that the birds respond because the person is upset at the birds for taking space on the beach or because the person likes them and wants to get a closer view has the same impact. Birds respond to disturbance by disrupting important survival behaviors like incubating, protecting eggs and chicks from predators and temperature stress, feeding chicks, foraging, and resting. Birds that are chronically disturbed are also stressed out, which is harmful to their well-being and ability to incubate and raise chicks. This is why it’s important to practice ethical, responsible photography practices and teach others to do the same.

HOW TO OBSERVE AND PHOTOGRAPH BIRDS RESPONSIBLY

As explained, the string is NOT a good guide for how close is too close. Instead, it’s essential to pay attention to the birds’ behaviors. Observe from a distance at first, then approach slowly. Stop before any birds change their behavior and watch or photograph them from that distance. Note that if they are approached, react, and then settle back down, that is still too close because chicks have probably fled from their preferred areas and not all adults may be able to settle back down on small chicks or eggs. Good cues that the birds are disturbed are that they start paying attention to you, they become fidgety, chicks start to move away and/or hide, adults start to vocalize, and they fly up and/or swoop at you.

While observing the nesting colony from an appropriate distance, the habitat is peaceful and the birds appear calm while caring for their chicks. By staying back from the posting, it’s possible to get better views of the birds’ natural behaviors, and you are allowing them to choose where they need to be to seek respite from the heat, avoid conflicts with other birds, and feed chicks. By stepping back and prioritizing the birds’ well-being you’re setting a positive example for others and creating the best conditions to capture images of their amazing behaviors!

Note: The beach is just one of many settings in which people enjoy photography. There are excellent online resources that explain the principals and actions of ethical wildlife photography. We especially like this one (Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography), which covers all types of birds and situations, including of nesting birds and birds on the beach.

Thanks

Lindsay Addison, Audubon NC Coastal Biologist

Marlene Eader, volunteer coordinator