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July 17 - July 31 - Terns of Fire Island (2)Page 16 Fire Island Newsmagazine - July 17 - July 31 TERNS OF FIRE ISLAND Photo: Paul Stoutenhurgh riot tits , t!,tt ; th l 'i4 i go, ' The common tern, the most often -seen tern In our local waters. by Paul Stoutenburgh Outside of the gull, the common tern is the most abundant sea bird on Fire Island. Although some people are not familiar with this dainty sea bird, every fisherman worth his salt knows of the tern, for it's their association with schools of fish that makes them a friend of the angler. Often in the bay or the ocean we see these small graceful birds diving and hovering over a school of bluefish or stripers. It's part of the savage game of survival that they're involved in. From down below the tigers of the sea, the bluefish, drive the smaller bait fish to the surface, where they are quickly eaten by the terns who hover around the churning water waiting for a meal. Often in their haste to pick up a sand eel or spearing, the tern will grab it the wrong way for swallowing and so in mid -air will flip it around to swallow it head first. More often we see these terns flying with the bait fish in their mouth - headed back to the nest where two or three young are anxiously awaiting their meal. Having photographed these birds from a blind or hide many times, I have often been around when the parent bird returns with the day's catch. First come, first served, is the rule of the day and the poor fellow who is slow or asleep will soon discover his brother or sister will eventually overtake him in size and aggressiveness. When this happens the weak are forgotten and they become unfit for survival. A cruel system in some eyes, but the only one that works in the natural world. Sometimes the fish brought back is too long to handle and hangs out the mouth of the young bird like a fish - tailed tongue. As the digestive juices work and the gulping chick works at swallowing the fish, it slowly disappears. All terns nest in colonies and aggressively protect their area. One can never enter a colony unnoticed for as soon as the alarm is given the whole area comes alive with birds in the air and the attack is on. Hovering above they fold their wings and dive -bomb the intruder until he leaves. Often I've seen them attack so vigorously that they have drawn blood. Usually we never bother the birds in their nesting site unless there is a reason for it. One reason would be to band the young with a small numbered light- weight aluminum band that carries a return address. These returns give valuable in- formation as to where the birds migrate, how old they are, causes of death and a host of other factors vital to the study of our wildlife. Some tern colonies number in the thousands of birds. It is only by being careful when walking through them that we do not step on the nest where camouflaged eggs have been laid in a tiny depression in the sand. Material from dredging has often made ideal nesting sites, and it is just recently that the Army Corps of Engineers has been per- suaded to take into consideration this fact and alter their plans so that dredged soil is placed in ideal locations for nesting. This was recently done in the eastern part of Great South Bay on John Boyle Island which, of course, is off limits because of its nesting status. The two terns we see here along the bay and ocean are the small least tern and the larger common tern. Both have long narrow gray wings, white under bodies and a black cap. Both have a relatively rapid wing beat when compared to the gull. Often you'll find these terns resting on pilings, buoys or stakes as they recuperate from a long forage trip out to sea. Seldom, if ever, will you see the terns resting on the water you do gulls. They're usually in flight when you see them. Whenever we have great storms along our coast, there is a good possibility of seeing some of our big southern terns along the beach. These would be the caspian and royal terns, which are almost the size of a small gull but have bright red bills. They will be seen resting on our beaches and can easily be picked out among the gulls for they like their smaller cousins the common and least terns are sleek and trim in comparison. So should you be a boater, a homeowner, a renter or a daytripper, start to recognize these interesting sea birds that are associated with the barrier beach. Once learned, these marauders of the sea, will be a constant source of pleasure, for their flight and grace is always a source of delight to the eye. Paul Stoutenburgh is a retired educator and a former naturalist for the National Park Service. He writes a column called "Focus on Nature" for eastern Long Island Newspapers.