Today Will Perry was able to get half way thru the first section of the end-of-season big till before the lightning and thunderstorm flooded us out, but the progress looks great! We will try again next week to finish the job
There is still one tiny downy snowy plover chick on the beach, which I watched with my complete and full attention during the tilling because it really wanted to forage for insects in the freshly tilled sand.\
The Wilson’s plovers continue to forage on Carlos Beach, from the new tide pool all the way across to the dunes and mangroves.
Early this morning I saw a flock of least terns resting briefly by the tide pool before they left to go fishing for the day.
The skimmers are continuing to grow up quickly. My official count this week included 472 adults, 65 flight capable chicks, and 18 feathered chicks.
At this rate the skimmer chicks should all be flight capable in a couple more weeks!
This week I also spotted some other very exciting shorebirds, including my first piping plover of the year. There are an estimated 8,400 piping plovers left in the world- they are federally listed as endangered in the Great Lakes Region, and threatened along the Atlantic coast and Great Plains. Piping plover overwinter in Florida during their non-breeding season, so it was very exciting to see the first one this week!
--Robin Serne
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