Video Summary and Goodbye Postings

Wrightsville Beach Bird Stewards 2015

The link above should take you to a video of photos from this year's blog. It was a very successful season. Late this afternoon we will be taking the postings down.  Glad you were able to share parts of our adventures this year. Hope we see you back next year!

Nesting Season Winding Down

Many of the Wrightsville Beach Bird Stewards are beginning to feel like empty nesters.  The nesting season is winding down, but there are still lots of birds using the posting as they prepare for migration.

Least Terns 

It appears that the Least Terns have begun migration, with only a very few remaining at the nesting colony.  The Great Black Backed Gulls were feasting on some of our sweet chicks, so the parents may have determined that an early start on migration would be a good idea.  We wish them a safe flight and look forward to seeing them again next year!

Great Black Backed Gull (photo by Laura Scullin)

Black Skimmers

We still have lots of Black Skimmers at the colony with several new chicks!  On Tuesday, August 11 ninety-nine (99) Black Skimmer fledglings and ninety-one (91) Black Skimmer adults were counted.   A large number will continue to roost in the inlet area and the southern Wrightsville Beach posting until October.  The Black Skimmers seem to be staging to get ready for migration and will join other groups that migrate to our area in the next couple of months.

Two of our Bird Stewards noticed several very young Black Skimmer chicks just this past week.  The posting will remain in place to protect these little ones.  The practice is to leave the posting up for 2 weeks past the last chick fledging….unless something happens to that little chick.

(photo by Laura Scullin)

(photo by Laura Scullin)

(photo by Laura Scullin)

(photo by Laura Scullin)

(photo by Laura Scullin)

(photo by Laura Scullin)

(photo by Laura Scullin)

(photo by Laura Scullin)

(photo by Don Ellson)

(photo by John Sutton)

Successful skimming by a juvenile Black Skimmer
(photo by John Sutton)

(photo by John Sutton)

American Oystercatchers

A pair of Oystercatchers were seen roosting in the posting this past week.  The two banded juveniles were spotted on Wednesday night (8/12) so they are still in the inlet area. Yay!

Terns

The Common Terns appear to have begun migration.  We have had Royal Terns and Sandwich Terns roosting in the posting this week as well as one Gull Billed Tern. The Royal and Sandwich Terns nest on our river islands in the Cape Fear, so it is always a joy to see them up close on southern Wrightsville Beach!

Two Sandwich Terns hanging out with a Black Skimmer.
(photo by Don Ellson)

Sandwich Terns
(photo by John Sutton)

LAST BIRD WALK

The last official Bird Walk for the Town of Wrightsville Beach was led Monday, August 10. But the Wrightsville Beach Bird Stewards will continue to monitor the area until the postings come down. And as migration season brings birds traveling along the Atlantic Flyway there will be lots to see!

(photo by Laura Scullin)

(photo by Laura Scullin)

Skimmer Final Exams, Ruddy Turnstones Visit, & Bird TV Stars

The Black Skimmer juveniles are almost ready to be one their own.  Most have mastered flight and many are already "skimming". 

Successful season for beach nesting birds at Wrightsville Beach

Click on the link below to see the video from WECT.  It seems watching a 30 second advertisement is a prerequisite to viewing the clip:)

Successful season for beach nesting birds at Wrightsville Beach - WECT TV6-WECT.com:News, weather & sports Wilmington, NC

Skimmer School in Full Swing

Update from Thursday, July 23

BLACK SKIMMERS

Black Skimmer adult feeding juvenile
(photo by Kevin Giannini)

Juvenile Black Skimmer resting in the sand.
(photo by Kathy Hannah)

This is the time of the nesting season to truly appreciate the dedication of the Black Skimmer parents to train their young.  The frequent heat index of >100 degrees makes it a critical time for the skimmer parents to get their chicks to the water, and the “chick parade” is being enjoyed by many stewards and beachgoers.

photo by Mary-Ann Walton

The Black Skimmer parents organize themselves to begin this process.  Several adults stand at the water’s edge while other adults spread out in the sand area between the posting and the water… facing each other.  The parents call the chicks and the chicks (as a group and in a row!) walk between the adults that were facing each other to the water.  Up to 78 chicks were counted in the first parade…and this often continues throughout the day.  Last Sunday, there were 122 chicks/fledglings at the water!

Video on YouTube
Black Skimmers on Wrightsville Beach

Some of the fledglings have been flying with a parent and watching the parent model skimming the surface of the water… SKIMMER SCHOOL is happening. A couple of fledglings have been seen over the water as they fly back to the group over calmer water and SKIM!

Juvenile Black Skimmer landing after a successful flight!
(photo by Kevin Giannini)

Adult Black Skimmer demonstrating "skimming".
(photo by John Sutton)

Juvenile Black Skimmer practicing "skimming"
(photo by Kathy Hannah)

A couple of Black Skimmer chicks have been trying to use the “beach condos”. One skimmer chick was seen completely in one of the structures, and another was only able to get his head in!  The adult stands by the condo with the chick.

LEAST TERNS

We have a variety of sizes of chicks of the Least Terns because of re-nesting.  All of the nests that had been being monitored have hatched so there are no new nests to report. 

photo by Kevin Giannini 

photo by Kevin Giannini

photo by Mary-Ann Walton

photo by Michelle Frazier

Chicks have been spending the days finding shade wherever they can….by plants, squeezing in the condos, and in the shade of the signs on the posting.  A couple of chicks were digging scrapes in the condos to make more room for other chicks!  As many as 4-5 chicks have been seen in a single condo!

Shade from condo (photo by Laura Scullin)

Shade from plants (photo by Kathy Hannah)

Shade from parent (photo by Kathy Hannah)

Shade from postings (photo by Kathy Hannah)

OYSTERCATCHERS

Our two Oystercatcher chicks CP2 and CP3 are doing very well and are continuing to grow.  We might see them flying soon!

photo by Kathy Hannah

Black Skimmers on Wrightsville Beach

Chicks Everywhere!

We are halfway through the Wrightsville Beach 2015 nesting season.  Most of the chicks are already learning to fly and some are even finding their own food.  Many Black Skimmer and Least Tern fledglings can now be seen along the shore lined up with their parents.  They all put on a great show!

Black Skimmers and Their Fledglings (video)


Here are some photo highlights from my time on the beach last Wednesday, 12-3 p.m.

Black Skimmers

Least Terns