Baby Pictures

There are very few critters cuter than baby birds, and Nickerson Beach on Long Island has provided a nursery for piping plovers, American oystercatchers, black skimmers, common terns, and least terns, and probably several kinds of gulls, for several years. I have spent much of this summer filming the little ones and taking baby pictures. Since the oystercatchers are some of the first chicks to hatch, they are the first to have their own Silly Videos and photo galleries.

Oystercatcher family, June 12, Nickerson Beach

Several of the beaches in New York have protected areas cordoned off to allow these birds to nest relatively undisturbed. The oystercatchers are usually the first to stake out their breeding homes, and their kids are the first to hatch. If you get too near to the string “ropes” protecting the dunes, the parents will buzz you, and if you don’t go away, they will sometimes stalk you with backs raised or fake a broken wing to distract you from their chicks.

Mama American oystercatcher and two little kiddies, June 4, Nickerson Beach

There are two videos chronicling the oystercatcher families that I saw on the beach. The first part of The Kids Are All Right shows the families from May second to June 12 and features music by Saint-Saens. The second part also has bassoon accompaniment with music by Jadin and Freithoff.

The oystercatcher kids are just the cutest little birdies I’ve ever seen, and it was so much fun to photograph them. The photos in this slide show were taken June 4 through June 17.

The photos of adult oystercatchers and their youngsters were taken May 2 through July 30.

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Terns With Crowns

My love affair with shorebirds continues!

Royal tern, Midland Beach, Staten Island, November 2

A group of royal terns (Thalasseus maximus) is called a "highness." That seems appropriate for birds with crowns! I had a chance to watch two highnesses of royal terns on October 31 and November 2, 2017, at Midland Beach on Staten Island.  I also saw a single royal tern at Broad Channel American Park in Queens on October 17, 2017. You can compare the royal terns with the common terns and Forster's terns on the Cornell site. The royal terns are the second largest of the terns (after the Caspian tern), and have distinctive black crests and orange bills.

Royal tern, Midland Beach, October 31

Royal terns on Midland Beach, November 2

What was particularly fun to watch, as you'll see in the Filming the Feathers video, was the young royal terns persistently discussing world affairs with other terns (actually, it was probably a demand for food from a parent). The young bird would follow the older bird around, chirping and complaining. The older bird most often looked as if she wanted nothing to do with the conversation. (Males and female look the same.) At one point (around minute 7 in the video), you can see one insistent youngster slipping, falling, and getting up without a break and continuing the conversation. I used music by Henry Purcell arranged for recorders and performed by Papalin. But I've also left in the sound of the wind, the waves and the loud conversations.

This group of photos was pulled from the video. The photos show flight and displaying behavior.

This group of photo features photos from October 31 and November 2. More photos can be found on the Royal Terns page.

On the Beach With Black Skimmers

I saw my first black skimmers (Rynchops niger) on October 31 at the beach at Wolfe's Pond on Staten Island. I was mesmerized, and was able to watch them again on November 4. The longer lower bill is fascinating, as the birds use it while skimming the water to pull up small fish.

Black skimmer, the beach at Wolfe's Pond, Staten Island, November 4, 2017

Black skimmers, October 31, 2017. Note the bands on two of the birds.

The first Filming the Feathers video is very short, featuring the shorebirds on October 31. The second video, from November 4, is more extensive, with more time spent with these birds flying, skimming and resting on the beach. I was particularly taken with how much these birds seem to enjoy the company of other skimmers, and how their flight is so synchronized.

These photos of the skimmers in flight were pulled from the October 31 video.

These photos were taken October 31 and November 4.