Our Never Ending Nesting Season

Usually our nesting season would be slowing down at the beginning of August as our fluffy chicks turn to feathered fledglings and get ready for their journey south.  BUT NOT THIS YEAR!  Although many of the Least Terns have fledged, a few remain in the colony and our Black Skimmers and American Oystercatchers are often found hanging out across the inlet (several have been spotted on Masonboro Island).  But the posted area at the south end of Wrightsville Beach is very active.

We have extended our weekly Monday morning Bird Walks through the end of August.  And if you get a chance to come out and join us here are some samples of what is out there....

NEWLY HATCHED COMMON TERN CHICKS

Photo by Cordelia Norris, 8/3

photos by Bill Segur, 7/29

photos by Bill Segur, 7/29 

(Look for the legs of the Common Tern chicks in the pictures below as they take shelter under a parent.)

photos by Bill Segur, 7/29

 The Common Tern chicks are growing rapidly.  A few are already as large as the parents!

photos by Kathy Hannah, 8/10

photos by Kathy Hannah, 8/10

photos by Kathy Hannah, 8/10

AND JUST THIS WEEK .... MORE BLACK SKIMMER CHICKS HAVE HATCHED

photos by Kathy Hannah, 8/10

photos by Kathy Hannah, 8/10

photos by Kathy Hannah, 8/10

These newly hatched Black Skimmer chicks are masters at camouflage!

photos from Michelle Frazier, 8/9

YOUNG BLACK SKIMMERS ARE PRACTICING THEIR SKIMMING

Photos by Tom Hanna, 7/27

Photos by Tom Hanna, 7/27

Several young Black Skimmers have been banded.  Perhaps we will see some of them return to our area next summer!

photos by Kathy Hannah, 8/10

Commotion Terns and Chick Mayhem

photo by Bonnie-Jeanne Berg

Usually with the beginning of August our nesting colony begins to slow down and we prepare to say goodbye to our shorebirds as their new chicks get their feathers, learn to fly, and begin feeding themselves.  But that is not what is happening this season!  On our weekly Monday morning Bird Walk on 7/29 we saw SEVEN newly hatched Common Tern chicks exploring the beach.

One of our clever Bird Stewards coined the term "Commotion Terns" for these Common Tern chicks since they make their presence in the colony well known.  As an added feature of this "chick mayhem" the Common Tern parents are our most aggressive birds and have been alerting any beachgoer that they WILL protect their new chicks!

Here are some recent photographs of what is happening....

photo by Bonnie-Jeanne Berg

photo by Bonnie-Jeanne Berg

photo by Bonnie-Jeanne Berg

photo by Elizabeth Maroney
(one of our Bird Walk guests)

photo by Elizabeth Maroney
(one of our Bird Walk guests)

photo by Michelle Frazier

photo by Michelle Frazier

photo by Michelle Frazier

The Nesting Colony Keeps Growing

This amazing nesting season just keeps going and going.  Usually by the end of July most of the chicks are already flying and learning to feed themselves.  But new chicks are still appearing this year.  This morning (7/28) a new Common Tern chick made an appearance after we had been watching the parents sitting for several weeks on a nest near the Coast Guard station.  The parents quickly led the new chick into the shade and created a shallow "nest" to keep it safe.

New Common Tern chick video
(click the link above to view on YouTube)

In other news we banded the other American Oystercatcher chick on 7/24.  Look for a young Oystercatcher with band EF8 when you are at the south end of Wrightsville Beach.

AND the Least Terns and Black Skimmers continue to entertain us.  

A “SURPRISE” UPDATE ON OUR BIRDS

OYSTERCATCHERS

CT4 made an entrance onto the beach with her chick on Friday (July 19) and it is a BIG one!  CT4 and mate have carefully guarded the chick in the dunes on the Oceanside and it had only made one appearance on a Thursday morning, June 20^th   We had not seen it since. 

An Oystercatcher adult was seen flying in over the dunes from the west with food a couple of weeks ago and we were hopeful that they were feeding a chick.  They were feeding a chick!  The chick is at least 4 weeks old and is already trying out its wings and was taking short flying hops over the weekend within the colony.  The chick is large –close to adult size—but the behaviors are clearly chick like!  He continues to try to get under one of his parents and appears very shy.  This oystercatcher chick even went (squeezed) into one of the “shade shelters” Friday afternoon which is the first time we have seen an oystercatcher do that!   

photos by Bonnie-Jean Berg

Our other Oystercatcher family’s chick “EER” was 8 weeks old on Sunday (7/21) and has been practicing flying with its parents.  It appears to fly towards the oyster beds or the razor clam area with a parent at low tide.  It was outside of the posting with both parents this morning and the entire family was easily seen by our bird walk guests.

BLACK SKIMMERS

Juvenile Black Skimmers are hanging out at the water with adults and many have been practicing their flight skills and are beginning to skim the water. 

photos by Tom Hanna

photos by Tom Hanna

It is always a thrill to watch the adult Black Skimmers escorting their fledgling chicks to the water. 

photos by Bonnie-Jean Berg

photos by Cordelia Norris 

photos by Cordelia Norris

photos by Cordelia Norris

You will notice that all of the Black Skimmers can fly and move on the beach if a beach walker is close to them.  Fledglings and juveniles are motivated to practice their flight skills at these times and adults seem to use this interruption to check on a mate in the nesting colony on the hot sand.

Black Skimmers closer to the dunes have some newly hatched chicks.  Zoom in on the dunes for smaller chicks!!

photos by Bonnie-Jean Berg

LEAST TERNS

Least tern fledglings and chicks are everywhere and at various stages of development!  Many are outside the posting waiting for parents to return with a fish and/or cooling by the water.  A number of chicks can be seen standing in the shade made by the posting.

photo by Tom Hanna

COMMON TERNS

Beautiful Common Tern fledglings can be seen by the water with a parent close by. 

Several Common Tern pairs are continuing to nest with a mate on guard duty on top of a sign.  On Saturday, I observed a Common Tern come in from the water with a fish, feed its mate, nudge the mate with its head and take over nesting sitting...the mate immediately went to the water and dipped itself into the waves at least 10 times and even floated on the water!  It was hot!

photos by Tom Hanna

photo by Tom Hanna

FREE MONDAY BIRD WALKS

We had another well attended bird walk Monday (7/22) morning with over 32 guests!  The recent publicity that we are receiving is making both residents and tourists anxious to see the South End nesting colony!  What a joy it is to introduce these birds to people and relay the inspiring way they migrate here, choose to nest here and then parent and teach their young.  

photos by Tom Hanna

photos by Tom Hanna