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Baby-sitting a tern-skimmer colony



I hope this is appropriate for Carolinabirds.  I don't think it's a "general
conservation issue".

I spent yesterday baby-sitting the tern-skimmer colony on Sand Dollar Island
(Rachel Carson Reserve), Beaufort Inlet, NC.

This is a very small island and very small colony--we've marked off about
200' x 200' x 200'.  There are about 20-40 nesting pairs of Common Terns and
Black Skimmers.

The colony is certainly doing better than would be the case if we had not
roped it off and were not doing some policing of it.

However, now that some of the young are large, I see that we are actually
facing the most tenuous part of the endeavor.  Many, many beachgoers come to
the island, often bringing dogs.  The oldest young are now 1)inclined to
panic easily because of disturbance; 2) inclined to move toward the shore,
where it's cooler (and thus outside the roped-off area).

20-30 years ago, I wouldn't have thought it justified to try to protect such
a small colony, but with the decline of nesting colonies of these species, I
think it's justifed now.  Besides, it doesn't seem right to not protect a
nesting colony in a Reserve named for Rachel Carson.

                                         John Fussell
                                         Morehead City, NC
                                         jfuss@bmd.clis.com