Lots of Action on the Beach As the Chicks Begin to Fledge

Least Tern with an Atlantic Silverside
photo by Patrick Carroll

Chicks are coming out of the posting to get to the water or be the first to greet its parent bird coming in with a fish. 

Black Skimmers with Atlantic Needlefish
Photos by Patrick Carroll

Black Skimmers with Striped Mullet
Photos by Patrick Carroll

LEAST TERNS (LETE) – Least Terns are spending the day feeding and protecting their MANY chicks from the heat and potential predators.

Least Tern chicks

Five Least Tern chicks of varying sizes compete for lunch.

A Least Tern fledgling comforts a new chick. 

After the initial flight lessons, we will begin seeing the chicks learn to hover over the water (to watch fish and judge how fast the fish are moving) and begin fishing very soon.  Parent birds will continue to feed these fledglings as they improve on their new skills and through the migration.

COMMON TERNS (COTE) – Common Tern chicks and fledglings can be seen throughout the posting and on the beach and the COTE parents have been keeping beachgoers a safe distance away.  The parent birds are encouraging the COTE fledglings to fly and are trying to motivate them to fly over the inlet.  Fishing lessons should begin soon!

We also discovered two new Common Tern nests so little chicks are visible from the Masonboro Inlet side of the posting.

 

BLACK SKIMMERS (BLSK) – At sunrise on Thursday, July 1, a group of biologists met at the colony with Lindsay to band Black Skimmer chicks.  We were able to band 27 BLSK chicks. 

We also learned this week that we now have approximately 30 new Black Skimmer nests towards the front of the posting on the inlet side.  Incubation continues!

Black Skimmer Chicks can be seen throughout the posting and are getting good size.  We are seeing juvenile BLSK flying over the inlet and practicing skimming skills this week.

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS (AMOY) – Two Oystercatcher chicks may be seen inlet side with the single parent bird EMY…and the un-banded helper bird.  We were able to band the largest chick …ETX (who we call “Tex”) but the smallest chick was too little to band at that time.

Parent with both chicks. 

We are saddened to report that the smallest un-banded chick has sustained an injured wing this week and you will see the wing drooping.  Our National Audubon biologist Lindsay Addison observed the chick on Sunday evening and unfortunately there is nothing we can do to help this bird.  We talked at length about possible strategies, but prior attempts to rehab have consistently been unsuccessful.  Chicks need to be able to fly to the oyster beds to learn firsthand from a parent bird how to feed themselves.

You will see the Oystercatcher chicks unsupervised on the beach during feeding and they are becoming rather “street/beach smart”.  The chicks are very aware of people and run into the posting as vehicles or people approach.  

Feeding of the AMOY chicks generally lasts 2 hours before and after low tide.  It is especially important that you encourage beachgoers to stop and enjoy this unique opportunity to see Oystercatcher chicks feed from a safe distance. 

IMPORTANT …LOOK FOR FISHING LINE!

Fishing line could potentially entangle the parent birds and/or chicks...just like the parent Oystercatcher who was injured.  We have consistently found fishing line on the beach this week. 

Here is some helpful parking information for your next beach visit.

Just Another Day at the Beach

 

Least Tern chick camouflaged on the beach.

 No need for binoculars to see lots of Least Tern chicks running around on the beach....

Common Tern chicks are growing rapidly...

Common Tern chicks taking refugee from the sun
 in a small bit of shadow from one of the postings.

Hungry chicks demanding food!

Beware of Common Tern parents protecting their chicks!

These Common Tern chicks can already fly. Next step is learning to catch their own dinner.

Black Skimmers dominate the landscape!

These Black Skimmer chicks are almost ready to fly and then will begin to learn how to skim for their own meals.  Meanwhile they love to relax in the sand.

This is a band on one of our Black Skimmers.
Several more were banded last week.

American Oystercatcher Family 

photo by Liling Warren

photo by Liling Warren

And if you ever get tired of watching the birds.... stick around for the sunset!

photo by Marlene Eader

Colony Continues to Grow

Least Terns (LETE) are spending the day feeding and protecting their many chicks from the heat and potential predators.

Look for chicks in and around the “chick shelters” and the many plants.  The shelters are helpful against both heat and potential predators.  We are seeing more LETE chicks than last week and we are beginning to count fledglings.  Fledglings are chicks that have grown their flight feathers and are the size of the adult birds.  We think you will enjoy the opportunity to witness these first flights.  The chicks practice jumping into the wind and take short flights with the parent bird close by. After the initial flight lessons, we will begin seeing the chicks learn to hover over the water to watch fish and judge how fast the fish are moving and then begin fishing skill lessons.

Photos by Jeff Hall

Photo by Camille Daniels

Common Tern (COTE) chicks and fledglings can be seen throughout the posting and on the beach and the COTE parents have been actively keeping beachgoers (and bird stewards!) a safe distance away.  We initially counted 15 Common Tern nests throughout the posting but now believe there may be more in the plants.  Thirteen fledglings were counted this week on the inlet side and we know there are another 2 fledglings oceanside.

Photo by Camille Daniels

We have close to 400 Black Skimmers in the nesting area with more than 166 pairs nesting.  We have a number of non-breeding Black Skimmers in the colony this year gaining experience for nesting in the future!   

Black Skimmer Chicks can be seen throughout the posting and are getting to be a good size by begging for food constantly and growing their flight feathers.  If you see a Black which is Skimmer flying in with a fish, follow it with your binoculars right to its nest to feed chicks which is both adorable and energy intensive for these parent birds.   Nesting and incubation continues along the back dune.

Photo by Camille Daniels

Photo by Camille Daniels

The Oystercatcher chicks which made their appearance on May 24 are growing nicely thanks to the intensive efforts of the single parent (EMY) and the unbanded helper bird.  The chicks have reached a good size although, as expected, one chick is larger than the other.  We were able to band the largest chick on Saturday, June 25...ETX!   The chicks are so adorable when they run out of the dunes to greet the parent bird with food from the marsh.  It seems that most often the biggest chick gets to the food first, but the little guy will also tug on the oyster meat and break off his/her share!

You will see the Oystercatcher chicks unsupervised on the beach during feeding and they are becoming rather “street/beach smart”.  The chicks are very aware of people and run into the posting as vehicles or people approach.