Common Tern Pair
The picture of this Common Tern Pair was taken at Nickerson Beach in Nassau County, New York. The picture of this Common Tern Pair was photographed with the Canon 5D Mark III Canon 300mm f2.8 IS II with the 2X extender.
To hear the sounds of the Common Tern, click on the arrow below.
American Oystercatcher Juvenile
The picture of this American Oystercatcher Juvenile was taken at Nickerson Beach, New York. The picture of this American Oystercatcher Juvenile was photographed with the Canon 5D Mark III Canon 300mm f2.8 IS II with the 2X extender.
To hear the song of the American Oystercatcher, click on the arrow below.
American Oystercatcher chicks depend on adults for food for at least 60 days after hatching. Chicks are typically brought food by adults, but may also forage on their own as early as 2–3 weeks after hatching. Adults will excise shellfish from shells, then deliver soft parts to young chicks; older chicks (3+ wk) are often brought unopened shellfish
Piping Plovers
The Piping Plover is a threatened and endangered shorebird. Critical nesting habitats are now being protected to help the population during its breeding season. Populations have seen significant increases since the protection programs began, but the species remains in serious danger.
To hear the sounds for the Piping Plover, click on the arrow below.
Common Terns with Egg
A story unfolded as I photographed this pair of Common Terns on the beach. The male flew in with a large fish and the female was not in the least bit interested. He finally ate it himself. After about five minutes, the female got up from the nest, poked her head into the nest and flew off with this broken egg. She flew high into the air and dropped the egg onto the sand in a similar manner to that of a gull dropping a clam shell. Since I captured this whole incident on camera, I could also see the contents of the egg falling out of the broken shell. There were very few Common Tern nests at Nickerson Beach compared to previous years which makes me wonder if Hurricane Sandy created a problem for these nesting birds.