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Least Terns are small, plucky seabirds that nest right on the sand—traditionally on beaches. However, as safe beach habitat becomes scarcer, they sometimes nest in unexpected places like gravel rooftops and construction sites. While our biologists and volunteers work hard to find and protect these nests, it’s not always possible to cover every patch of open ground. This year, however, local community members have stepped up. Thanks to their keen eyes and timely reports, several overlooked colonies were discovered and are now thriving.

OKALOOSA ISLAND
Tom McLaughlin, a reporter for the Pensacola News Journal, has covered stories on nesting shorebirds and seabirds for years. One afternoon at his local Elks Club, he happened to glance at the empty lot next door and noticed a cluster of Black Skimmers resting on the sand. Trusting his instincts, he reached out to his contacts at ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ to report the sighting. This area sat quite a distance from where local ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ staff were located, but they quickly made a few phone calls, and a biologist from the Okaloosa County Natural Resources Department arrived to investigate. Although the Black Skimmers were just visiting, the biologists found Least Tern nests! The ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ team is now monitoring the colony, and the property owners kindly agreed to hold off on any construction activity until the nesting season concludes.

NAVARRE BEACH
With each passing nesting season, coastal development continues to encroach on the limited habitat remaining for our imperiled beach-nesting birds. When longtime steward and local bird advocate Maggi Roberts was alerted by a friend about Least Terns nesting at a construction site on Santa Rosa Island’s Navarre Beach, she immediately notified ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Florida staff. We learned that the land surrounding the paused project had been cleared of all vegetation and now included three expansive sandy lots filled with mixed shell and gravel, creating the ideal seabird nesting habitat. After our team installed symbolic fencing at the site to help minimize disturbance, the colony that started out with only 17 nesting birds grew exponentially in the following weeks, with a count of 250 nesting Least Terns. The biggest surprise was the group of 25 Black Skimmers that later joined to nest among the rowdy bunch of terns.

The colony continued to experience success as we entered the peak of chick-rearing season in late June. On June 25, biologists recorded an incredible 655 adult Least Terns with 503 nests at the site and 52 Black Skimmers with 24 nests, making it the largest colony they are monitoring in the Panhandle! More than 120 Least Tern chicks have already fledged from the site this season, with more to come.

INDIAN PASS Least Terns often seek out freshly formed beach habitat, and the ever-changing shoreline of Florida’s Eastern Panhandle offers just that. This year, members of the Indian Pass Sea Turtle Patrol spotted Least Terns and Black Skimmers nesting on a newly stabilized former sandbar. They also noticed people driving golf carts out to the site. Thanks to their report, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ staff confirmed three active nests and quickly roped off the area with protective signage, enabling the colony to grow from three nests to 15 in just a week. Without this timely action, these eggs could have been crushed by unsuspecting beachgoers. Instead, this colony fledged 31 chicks.

With 825 miles of sandy beach in Florida, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's 10 full-time and 13 seasonal staff have their hands full protecting the state's beach-nesting birds. More than 300 volunteers lend their talents in an average year. This year, several went above and beyond by spotting colonies forming in unconventional locations and notifying ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ biologists so they could be protected quickly.