[texbirds] 7 Terns; Courtship in Fog, and oil spill in the Galveston Bay

  • From: MBB22222@xxxxxxx
  • To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 13:09:22 -0400 (EDT)

Second part of March so terns are coming to the Texas shore. From the  
spring/summer of usual 8 tern gang seven are already present. Last one, Black  
Tern, is due soon. Yesterday was foggy (heavy fog) all day long. As we know  
horrible oil spill occurred yesterday near Texas City Dike. I cannot imagine 
 much more worst timing. Bolivar Flats were full of birds. 7 terns were 
present;  many pairs were courting (Least, Gull-billed, Royal, Sandwich and 
Forster’s  Tern); some Caspian Tern SY juveniles were still begging for food; 
large flock  of Common Terns was passing thru. Also many plovers (including 
Piping, Snowy and  Wilson‘s), Red Knots etc were there foraging. Huge flocks 
of Black Skimmers and  American Avocets at Rollover Pass … 
 
Although sad I would be more than happy if a single oystercatcher nest was  
the  only casualty in aftermath of this disaster …
 
Bolivar Peninsula was methodically destroyed during past few years as an  
important nesting habitat for many birds (e.g. Least Tern) by heavy 
development  and growing beach traffic. This is done, nesting sites are gone; 
not 
much can be  done to restore them. One or two nesting pairs has no significant 
impact for  breeding population stability anyway. But now this horror during 
coming peak of  spring migration that can impact so many (and in large 
numbers) migrating birds.  Future does not look too good…
 
Terns courting in the fog during March 22, 2014 - day of oil spill in the  
bay.
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/154938278/original
 
Mark B Bartosik
Houston, Texas
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/from_the_field
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