By Capt. Chris Thalmann Contributing Writer
Hello everyone, welcome to the “dog days” of summer! This is the time of year that the Ancients – think Greek and Roman – not the early bird special kind – celebrated the annual appearance of Sirius the Dog star. Sirius is the brightest star in the summer sky, and it usually means our meteorological peak of summer has arrived. Many places in the northern hemisphere will record their warmest temps from July 22 and August 22. It’s a pretty safe bet that South Florida will too! There are some subtle changes underway though. Sunrise occurs a little later each day, and sunset a little earlier. Cooler fall temps will be here before we know it. Our local animal populations may already be picking up on these changes. In August we usually start to see a shift among our migratory birds as they get ready to head south for the winter. This includes one of the smallest and most active coastal birds, the least tern. If you’re not familiar with these energetic little birds, there’s much to like! They arrive here in the US to nest in late spring. Most will stay until August or September before heading back toward South America and the warmer months there. It’s a huge journey for the smallest of the tern species, feeding almost exclusively on small fish in coastal areas. They’re acrobatic flyers and their wing shape makes them fast and efficient. You can often spot them hovering in place over water while searching for food. Once locked on, they quickly dive in headfirst to catch their next meal. Least terns are easily spotted on top of pilings and markers. More difficult to spot are their nests and their hatchlings. Least terns don’t build typical bird nests of twigs and sticks. Instead, they scrape out a little depression on beaches and lay their tiny eggs among the sand, pebbles, rocks, and shells. Their incredible camouflage skills make it possible for them to nest in wide-open areas, unlike many other birds. Least terns will fiercely defend their nests against other birds, raccoons, foxes and even people. They’ve even devised a defense of sorts against habitat loss. Many of their coastal nesting areas were destroyed while South Florida was being built-out. These resourceful little birds found replacement nesting areas way up high on the gravel-topped roofs of many buildings. While they have been successfully nesting up there for many years, Palm Beach County and several cooperative partners have been gradually restoring our coastal habitats. It’s a long-term effort but it looks like the birds have noticed. Least terns have been spotted nesting in several locations along Lake Worth Lagoon in the last few years, including some of the newest restoration projects that are still under construction. Enjoy the antics of these little birds while they’re still here and look for them again next spring. Hope to see you outdoors and on the water! Captain Chris Thalmann Owner | Aqua Adventure Tours, Inc. aquaadventuretours.com
Captain Chris Thalmann
Owner | Aqua Adventure Tours, Inc.
aquaadventuretours.com