The photo above was taken by my friend Cheryl Cornwell.
Before I handed my camera to Cheryl, I tried to photograph children about
10 to 12 years old climbing on the dunes. Although we saw them two different
times playing on the dunes, I failed because they ran away when I saw
me taking pictures. Cheryl was trying to capture American Oystercatchers,
Wilson's Plovers and Wilson's Plover chicks. I selected this photo to
show you how little space remains between Jinks Creek and the paltry dunes.
The dunes are 1 1/2 to 3 feet high. There are two gaps the size of a 2-lane
street through which people legally can walk. For the Oystercatchers,
this is very bad news. They lost their first chicks within a day or two
of birth. They have returned to the dune area to nest a second time. Their
chicks don't stand a chance. I am sorry to be this negative. The huge
Least Tern colony left, the Oystercatchers likely are again doomed, and
there are few Wilson's Plovers. Perhaps we will see the Willets nest.
They left the site I photographed several days ago, probably deciding
it was risk-filled. Sunset Beach, NC, 06/01/14
This is one of the adult Wilson's Plovers that we watched
for an hour. Many times we saw them chasing after one chick. We did not
see three chicks as we did two days ago. Sunset Beach, NC, 06/01/14
Two Wilson's Plovers -- chick on right, probably adult
on left, Sunset Beach, NC, 05/30/14
Adult Wilson's Plovers, parent(s) of three chicks, seemingly
in non-breeding plumage, Sunset Beach, NC, 05/30/14
American Oystercatchers on newly formed large ocean
sandbar, Sunset Beach, NC, 05/28/14
Willet, adult breeding, Sunset Beach, NC, 05/27/14
Willets, adult breeding, Sunset Beach, NC, 05/27/14
Willets' location in comparison to American Oystercatchers'
former nest, Sunset Beach, NC, 05/28/14
During seven days leading up to my discovery of the
chicks, I thought one adult had vanished. I was pleased to find them both
minding the chicks.
First American Oystercatcher chick, Sunset Beach,
NC, 05/09/14
This is the second chick. The parents had a tough time
because their young were in two different places.
At my request, two men "rescued" the first
chick. The chick fell into a deep foot print while its parents were checking
on the second and possibly third chick. We did not know what Audubon Society
and Wildlife Resources Commission staff would have done. One man smoothed
the sand around the chick without touching the bird. After the men joined
me, we saw the parents leave the second chick and return, looking for
the first chick. They walked past without seeing it and kept on going.
The chick walked out of its former hole toward its parents, chirping loudly
until they heard it and turned around.
First chick reunited with both parents after walking
out of foot print, Sunset Beach, NC, 05/09/14
Eggs hatched, parents off nest just in time before that
portion of dune falls off, Sunset Beach, NC, 05/09/14
American Oystercatcher on nest inches from edge of dune,
Sunset Beach, NC, 05/05/14
American Oystercatcher on nest, Sunset Beach, NC, 05/07/14
American Oystercatcher on nest, Sunset Beach, NC, 05/03/14
End of dune on East End after 20 feet were lost in 21
days, Sunset Beach, NC, 05/03/14
American Oystercatchers -- one foraging and preening
and one on the nest, Sunset Beach, NC, 05/01/14
American Oystercatcher on nest and checking eggs, Sunset
Beach, NC, 04/26/14
American Oystercatcher, Sunset Beach, NC, 04/13/14
American Oystercatcher on nest, Sunset Beach, NC, 04/19/14