Our Shorebirds Are Demonstrating Incredible Parenting Skills

 

Black Skimmer chicks.... note the speckled egg between them!
photo by Gretchen Schramm

NEST CHECK NUMBERS

Lindsay, our NC Audubon biologist, was able to do a nest check in the early morning  of 5/31 and we have some numbers for you.  A special thanks to our great bird friends, Jill and Kate, who braved going into the colony with the aggressive Common Terns to count nests with Lindsay!         

LEAST TERNS (LETE) – Incubation and hatching continues for the Least Terns and most of the day is spent protecting their chicks from predators.  As the days become hotter, you will see the parent birds continuing to protect their chicks from heat stress by shading them or standing close to the chicks as the chicks seek shelter/shade by a nearby plant. Lindsay counted 16 LETE chicks and 4 LETE re-nesting and incubating eggs. Some of the LETE chicks have already begun transforming to fledglings and a few have even been seen trying their wings.

photo by Martin West

photo by Martin West

photo by Martin West

photo by Martin West

COMMON TERNS (COTE) – Common Tern chicks can be seen on top of the dunes Oceanside and on the inlet side.  We have about 10 Common Tern nests throughout the posting.

photo by Cordelia Norris

photo by Cordelia Norris

Common Tern triplets on the soundside
photo by Cordelia Norris

BLACK SKIMMERS (BLSK) – Lindsay counted 97 Black Skimmer nests and a few are beginning to hatch. Chicks can also be seen Oceanside just below the Common Tern nest that is on top of the dune.  Courtship, mating, nesting and incubation continues.  We have another 20 pairs making scrapes.

Notice the egg under the parent and the 3 very new chicks nearby.
photo by Patricia Ihnat

photo by Patricia Ihnat

photos by Gretchen Schramm

photos by Kathy Hannah

photos by Kathy Hannah

photo by Gretchen Schramm

These next two photographs by Patricia Ihnat demonstrate our Black Skimmers "skimming"!

OYSTERCATCHERS (AMOY) – We have one Oystercatcher chick on the beach by the AMOY pair (one parent is banded EMY) that nested on the inlet side of the posting.  The Oystercatcher family made its appearance Saturday (5/21).   So adorable…you will just want to watch them all day!

Photo by Kathy Hannah 

Photo by Martin West

It appears that the other Oystercatcher pair has lost their chick.  CT4 and mate CF0 were seen together on the Oceanside of the nesting colony together without their chick on Sunday evening (5/29).

Parent birds work hard to get their chicks to the water to drink and cool their bodies.  We our encourage beach guests to stop and enjoy this unique opportunity to see this behavior.

It is very important that all the chicks are able to get to the water to prevent heat stress so PLEASE observe from a safe distance.  Our behaviors affect the bird’s behaviors. If we are standing too close, looking at them with binoculars, taking photos, or standing between the birds and the water, the parent birds will not escort their chick to the water.     

You will also notice wooden shelters have been placed in the colony.  We are hopeful that the shelters will protect the various chicks from heat stress and also make it more difficult for predation from gulls.

photo by proud grandma Kathy Hannah

Lots of Active Chicks Are Ready to Welcome Memorial Day Weekend Visitors

American Oystercatcher Chick
photo by Renee Tevelow

 

Dozens of hungry Least Tern chicks are running around the beach.

photos by Kathy Hannah

Least Tern parents defend their eggs and chicks from the predatory Ghost Crabs.

photos by Martin West

photos by Martin West

Common Tern chicks can also be seen throughout the colony. 

photo by Tom Hanna

photo by Tom Hanna

photo by Tom Hanna

Top: Least Tern with chicks
Bottom: Common Tern and chick
photos by Camille Daniels

Black Skimmers are sitting on dozens of nests.  New chicks should be hatching soon.  Meanwhile one of the more spectacular sights at the beach is watching them all take to the sky.

Two American Oystercatcher families have been seen on the south end of Wrightsville Beach. 

On the ocean side look for banded CT4 and CFO.

photos by Renee Tevelow

On the soundside look for EMY and mate with their chick.

photos by Renee Tevelow

photos by Renee Tevelow

Besides the nesting shorebirds other species have made appearances.

photos by Kathy Hannah

Top Left: Royal and Sandwich Terns

Top Right: Marsh Hare

Bottom Left: White-tailed Deer tracks

Bottom Right: Great Blue Herons

Nesting, Incubating, Courtship and HATCHING … All Happening Now!

photo by Tom Hanna

LEAST TERNS

Lindsay Addison, our NC Audubon Coastal Biologist was on the beach May 13 and confirmed that about 60 Least Tern nests were lost this week.  There were 84 before the nor’easter and only 23 afterwards.  Lindsay thinks the storm and possibly the Ruddy Turnstones were the most likely reason.  The Ruddy Turnstones should be migrating soon so hopefully they will not remain an issue to both the Least Terns and Black Skimmers. 

The Ruddy Turnstones look for opportunities for the nesting birds to be disturbed and off their nests and then peck the eggs open.  We have seen a number of the Ruddy Turnstones walking through the colony and also eating eggs.

photo by Joseph Daniels

photo by Joseph Daniels

photo by Joseph Daniels

And to prove that rain and some hungry Ruddy Turnstones will not deter the birds here is a photograph that Lindsay took on Friday, May 13 of our first evidence of a Least Tern chick.  She estimates this chick to be 2-3 days old.

photo by Lindsay Addison

COMMON TERNS

We have at least 5 nests, with additional pairs courting, and the Common Terns are being very attentive and continue the couple bonding with feeding behaviors while incubating.  The Common Terns are becoming very protective and aggressive to protect their eggs if beachgoers are too close to the posting.   The Ruddy Turnstones may also have disturbed some of their nests as evidenced by his Common Tern egg that had clearly been predated... perhaps by a gull.

photo by Joseph Daniels

 

Common Tern aggression often
 includes being attacked from above!
photo by Tom Hanna

Ruddy Turnstone
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruddy_Turnstone/lifehistory#

BLACK SKIMMERS

Black Skimmers are the last species to start nesting at the colony. Last Saturday (5/7) there were 15-20 that had initiated nests, but they also are the least apt at protecting their nests from the Ruddy Turnstones. Some nests remain and the majority of the pairs are still courting and scraping (making the depressions where they lay their eggs). Look for continued nest initiation throughout May.

After three years of our banding program, we are seeing more and more banded skimmers returning to the colony.  Use binoculars to scan their lower legs but always remember to stay back from the string and make sure you are not causing the birds to be nervous. Even stepping off a nest briefly could result in a Ruddy Turnstone pecking an egg!

photo by Joseph Daniels

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS

Incubation continues by the oystercatchers and Lindsay confirmed the two nests are still nicely hidden within the dunes as of May 13.  We expect the hatching of chicks around Memorial Weekend. 

Martin West, one of our new WBBS, captured a photo of Royal Terns in courtship display and fish presentation on May 13 and one of the Royal Terns had a white “field readable” band on its right leg.  Marlene reported the band to reportband.gov and learned the Royal Tern was banded as a chick in 2018 in Hampton, Virginia.  Very cool!

More Birds Arriving Every Day

photo by Martin West

Migration is underway and groups of birds have been arriving consistently since April 15. 

Our Audubon NC Coastal Biologist Lindsay Addison did a nest check on the south end the morning of 4/28.  Lindsay’s nest checks provide us with specific numbers and nesting updates to report.

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS – Both pairs of Oystercatchers now 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 last year.  Oystercatcher banded CT4 and mate, newly banded CFO, have been seen on the ocean side.  CT4 nested last year but lost the chicks within days.

banded EMY

newly banded CFO
Photo by Martin West

banded CT4

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 since 4/14.  The count was 312 on Saturday 4/23, 357 on 4/24 and 383 on 4/27. 

Lindsay was able to identify 3 Black Skimmers that were banded as chicks on the south end of Wrightsville Beach in 2019 and returned this year.  How cool is that???

Note the fish in the mouth of the mating skimmer.
Photo by Martin West

Photo by Martin West

Photo by Camille Daniels

COMMON TERNS – Seven pairs of Common Terns were on the beach on 4/28.  Courtship and mating continue.

Photo by Martin West

LEAST TERNS –  A large group of Least Terns is now present and in the air regularly on the south end!  It appears that several Least Terns are nesting on the ocean side.

Courtship activities including fish presentations, scraping, and mating continue!

Photo by Camille Daniels

Being on the beach is exciting now as so many birds are present and very active. 

BIRD WALKS START NEXT MONDAY 

Free bird walks to the south end nesting area will be available for the public every Monday at 9 AM beginning, this Monday, May 2 until mid-August.  Join us!  Invite your friends & family!!  We will meet at the gazebo at Beach Access 43.