Least Tern Protecting Nesting Territory
For many years, Mass Audubon’s Tern Island in Chatham has been managed to promote nesting by threatened shorebirds. The island regularly attracts terns, but some often leave if they’re disturbed. For some reason, American Oystercatchers and Piping Plovers have been scarce, too. This summer, we’re excited to have all three focal species nesting on the small island.
Dominating the island’s upland is a colony of Least Terns. These small but loud birds are colonial ground-nesters. The colony was recently surveyed and found to have 112 nests—just slightly below last year’s total of 129.
American Oystercatcher Pair at Tern Island_Tom Faughnan
Another nesting species is the American Oystercatcher. This species was absent from the island last year and we love seeing them again. The nest has just one egg and is expected to hatch any day!
Perhaps the most exciting news is of the return of nesting Piping Plovers. There is now one plover nest on the island and a second pair involved in courtship activities nearby. While Chatham is a hotspot of Piping Plover activity, this is the first nest on Tern Island since 2007! It’s not clear why the island hasn’t attracted breeding plovers lately, so it’s great to see them back.
Piping Plover on the Wing