June 18, 1961 - Long island's TernsQ"
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COMMON TERN.
Exclusive Sunday Review Sketch
by Dennis Puleston of Brookhaven
Focus on
Nature
b y Paul Stoutenburgh, Cutchogue
the years. Freshly dredged sand
is usually occupied by terns the.
This week's article m a r k s
after hatching and commonly seek
first summer and furnishes ex-
another highlight in this series.
shelter from the sun under nearby
cellent nesting conditions for sev-
We are most fortunate to have
vegetation or in the shadow of
eral years.
Gilbert Raynor of Manorville
any available object from a piece
As the salt leaches out of the
writing for us on Long Island's
of driftwood to a long dead fish.
sand, however, and the droppings
Terns. This man is recognized
How the p a r e n t s recognize
of the birds furnish organic ma-
as one of the authorities in this
their own young among the hoard
terial, vegetation gains a foothold
field as well as being one of
of screaming, begging chicks is
and eventually spreads over the
the best naturalists in this area.
still a major, ornithological mys=
island rendering it useless as a
—P.S.
tery but, somehow, the fish is
nesting site. The colony then dis-
LONG ISLAND-S TERNS
always inserted in the correct
apears or moves to a more suit -
By Gilbert S Raynor
mouth.
ble location.
Whether in agile flight over the
After the young are grown, the
About twenty years ago, t h e
breaking surf, diving headlong to
colonies disperse and by the end
Herring Gull which had n e v e r
snatch a hapless Silversides from
of September, most have departed
nested south of Massachusetts ex-
its watery home, screaming mad-
for warmer climes. C o m m o n
tended its breeding range to Long
ly above the head of the intruder
Terns , winter from the Carolinas
Island and soon invaded some of
into its nesting -colony, or merely
to South America but most of
our most populous and thriving
resting on an isolated sandbar,
our Long Island birds seem to
tern colonies. The superior size
the tern is among the m o s t
favor Central American and Car-
and aggressiveness of the Gulls
graceful and spectacular of our
ribean waters.
plus their appetite for tern eggs
sea birds.
One bird banded by the writer
and young soon made these areas
Smaller than gulls and swifter
in a local colony on July 1, 1960
untenable for the smaller birds
of flight, most species may be
was shot on the island of Trinidad
and the Gulls are now in sole
known by their long, forked, swal-
near the north coast of S o u t h
possession.
low -like tails, pearl gray a n d
America on September 28.
Other hazards include storms
white plumage, black heads and
The Roseate Tern is q u i t e
and high tides which sometimes
sharply pointed bills held down-
similar to the Common Tern but
destroy many eggs and young as
ward as in the gulls.
much less aboundant on Long Is-
well as rats, weasels and house
Eleven species have been ob-
land. It is an even more beautiful
cats which have invaded t e r n
served on Long Island but most
species with whiter plumage,
colonies with disastrous results.
are either migrants, rare visitors
black instead of red bill, longer
The human visitor also c a n
or hurricane -blown strays. T h i s
tail and a rosy tint on the breast
cause much damage. A prolonged
article will discuss. only the three
during the breeding season.
stay may keep the birds from
species that nest here.
It usually nests in the same
their nests long enough to damage
Of these three, the common
colonies as the Common Tern but
the eggs or young or more direct
Tern, often called Sea-swallow or
prefers areas of vegetation to the
damage may be caused if every
Mackeral Gull, is the most num-
open sand. Its eggs and young
footstep is not carefully watched
erous. About the size of a pigeon,
are quite similar to those of the
for the eggs and young blend well
it matches the description given
Common Tern and its habits do
with their surroundings.
above.
not differ significantly.
With reasonable protection,
Breeding colonies ranging in
The Least Tern is only about
however, terns should continue to
size from a few dozen to, thou -
half the size o the two preceding
thrive and grace our shores each
sands of birds are found along
species. Its bill is yellow and its
summer, guiding the surf fisher -
the South shore from J a m a i c a
black cap covers only the top
man to schools of feeding Blue -
Bay to the Montauk peninsula lo-
and back of the head leaving
fish, snatching the bait thrown in
cated on islands, peninsulars and
the forehead white. This species
the air from in -bound f i s h i n g
occasionally on isolated sections
usually nests in smaller groups,
boats and adding their quota of
of sandy beach. Only a few small
from ten to two hundred birds,
life and action to our maritime
groups nest along the N o r t h
and does not demand as much
scene.
shore where suitable locations are
isolation as its larger relatives.
Colonies often found on
Send your Field Observations
scarcer.
Common Terns arrive from the
are
sandy beaches and particularly
and Comments to Paul Stouten-
South about the first of May and
on areas where recently dredged
burgh, Rt No 1, Box 105, Bay
by early June egg laying and
sand has been deposited. Least
Avenue, Cutchogue, N Y.
incubation are well under way.
hollow
Terns may be found breeding in
numerous locations along b o t h
Field Observations:
Dennis Puleston reports: Yellow
The nest consists of a
scraped in the sand sometimes
shores of the Island sometimes
- breasted Chat — June 9 —
decorated with a few pieces of
in close proximity to busy har-
Brookhaven-
Pro
shell, stick or other debris. The
bors or crowded bathing beaches.
Gilbert Raynor reports: -
two to four eggs vary from buff
Tern colonies are subject to
thonotary Warbler — J u n e 10 —
to green and are heavily spotted
many, harzards and our Long Is-
Manorville
and blotched with darker shades.
land breeding grounds have un-
L R Ernest reports: Coopers
The young are able to run soon
dergone many changes through
Hawk - June 4 — Southampton