Nickerson State Park, New York 2016

Nickerson State Park is on Lido Beach, NY (Long Island).  Here hundreds of American Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers, and Common Terns gather to nest. They are separated from the beach, and people by a rope line. Along the shore  can be found Great Black-Backed Gulls, Herring Gulls, and Ring-Billed Gulls.  I went there to take part in an Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) run by Arthur Morris an internationally recognized bird and nature photographer (http://www.birdsasart.com).

Beach with Skimmers in the foreground. 

 Skimmers and chicks

Birding began before 5AM. The following was taken around 7:30 AM:

Oystercatchers: 

Common Tern adults, fledglings and chicks: 

Success!

We found a nest with two chicks that were  two or three-days old. They still had their egg teeth. The next day one of the parents was brooding a dead chick, and the other was gone. Not sure if it was a predator (feral cat or raccoon) or a sandstorm. During the night the wind  gusted to 30 mph.

Yes-it swallowed the whole thing, and then came back for more.