Digital subscriptions provided by the City of Gulfport THE GABBER.COM April 27, 2023- May 3, 2023
No. 2810
Shore Thing No mistake about it – summer’s coming! And while the soaring thermometer will send many Tampa Bay residents to the seaside, we aren’t the only ones who are hitting the beach. Summer is nesting season for many imperiled bird species, including black skimmers, least terns, and American oystercatchers. Amazing Avians Even if you’re no birder, you will likely recognize these distinctive species. Skimmers sport an outsized, red and black bill with which they “skim” along the water’s surface, hunting for fish. Oystercatchers don’t skim so much as poke, using their long, narrow bill to probe the shoreline for tasty invertebrates. And though they may be the smallest of the tern family, least terns put on quite a show with their acrobatic hover-plunge-splash fishing technique. These beach-nesting species lay their eggs directly on the sand at local shores. Once the chicks hatch, adults – typically both parents — will tend their young anywhere from a
JIM GRAY/AUDUBON PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
By Amanda Hagood
A black skimmer with its fuzzy chick. Over summer, Pinellas beaches transform into nesting grounds for birds such as skimmers, oystercatchers, and other extraordinary Florida birds.
few weeks to a few months. Just like your favorite backyard birds, these careful caregivers must teach their little ones to fly. “Sometimes it can be tricky
for seabirds,” notes Holley Short, Audubon Florida’s Tampa Bay Area Shorebird Program Manager. “They have to not only learn how to fly, but also learn how to fish on the wing!”
Shore Thing continued on page 7
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