Terns at Bolsa Chica

When visiting the wetlands of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, it may be best to go during the week. The parking lot is very small and fills up quickly. Arriving early, the choice parking space near the bridge trail was available. It overlooked the southeast side of the wetland and was the perfect place to have a picnic after a morning of birding. Bolsa Chica is a wonderful place to observe Least Terns nesting and raising their young in the protected area. There are 40 pairs this year that have nested here and I was eager to observe these endangered terns.

As I walked on the bridge trail that crossed over to tide channel, I observed Elegant Terns fishing near the bridge. There are thousands of them on a man-made sand island and many in the air at all times. Here is a close-up of one that came by as I observed from the bridge. 

Note the slender golden-orange bill. Elegant Tern, Thalasseus elegans measures 17 inches long with a wingspan of 34 inches.

The splash!  Imagine the precise targeting of the prey fish from about 20ft up in the air and the speed that they hit the water and to be able to snag that particular targeted fish while diving at this incredible speed! Amazing ability!

Probably gulped the fish and out he comes.

 

When hunting they appear in constant motion. Always looking for fish and turning on a dime to make the dive when they spot one.

Beautiful wings. These birds are one of my favorite to watch. 

A shot of the fish in the beak of a Elegant Tern as it exits the water. 

 

Looks like this tern has got two fish in his beak! Will he be able to hang on to the one by the tail?

One flies over me with a fish in his beak. Probably taking it back to the nest for his chicks. The male and female terns look alike.

 

Another tern stalls and looks at his target fish a second before the dive. Look at the concentration and how his wing blocks the sun's rays.

 

A Forster's Tern also joins in the hunt for breakfast. Notice the black on the tip of the bill.

Walking over to the fenced-off protected area, I get this shot of an adult Least Tern flying over a youngster. Notice the distinctive white patch on the forehead. Most likely this is one of the chick's parents protecting its nest area. I talked to a nest observer taking notes for the Fish and Game Department. She told me there were 40 pairs of Least Terns nesting in this area. Every Tuesday, they count the eggs, hatchlings and young chicks and note their progress. The nests are marked by two long Popsicle sticks on which each nest is numbered. 

It may be easy to observe the nest as long as the terns are sitting on the eggs but once the chicks hatch and start to explore, it must be really difficult to see who's who. But every Tuesday, EONS (Eyes on Nest Sites, a group of involved birding citizens) observe this area and do a head count. http://bolsachica.org/programs/research/eons/   Here is a shot of one little chick hunkered down in the native ground cover. 

A parent appears to be calling out and showing everyone that this is her nest area and they must be aware!

She may be signaling to her mate that she is here at the nest and he needs to bring the fish for his hungry chicks.

This nest is #1 and the Least Terns have two beautiful chicks. Thank goodness for this photo op. This site is close to the fence and unobstructed by ground cover.

Close-up of one of the chicks.

 

All of a sudden the terns nesting on the man-made island at the south end of the reserve all screech and take to the air. There must be a threat to their nest site.

Yes, there is the reason for all the fuss. A gull lands in the middle of the island. He is looking for an egg breakfast.

I see movement in the ground cover and it is a male Horned Lark. That is one amazing set of horns!

This one appears to be a female. She was very close by. They also nest in this area.

Oh, the chick from nest #1 is trying out his wings. 

 

Houston, we have lift-off! It is only a few inches high but wow, he is doing fabulous. What a treat to see this little guy testing his wings. 

Lovely wings.

All good for today, he looks out towards the water and has that look in his eyes. It will be very soon when he will be joining his parents when they fly to their fishing area. They will dive into the water following the parent and beg for the fish. Also they will chase the parent as the adult carries the fish in his beak. This is fantastic exercise in flight and to build their flight muscles. This will only be for a little while, soon they will be hunting for themselves. 

He sees me looking at him through the chain link fence. What a sweet bird.

A bonded pair greet each other near their nest site. There is a nesting decoy in this photo. Can you spot it? I guess when the real Least Tern see one on the ground appearing to be sitting on a nest site, they feel more confident to make their nest there too. The nests are just a small indentation in the sand.

This must be couple #38. An adult at nest site #40 is watching the action. 

Least Tern , Sternula antillarum measures 9 inches long with a wingspan of 20 inches. These terns are endangered. Bolsa Chica is one of the few places in southern California that has a protected fenced area for nesting.

Slightly to the north of the #38 nest site, a tern lands with a fish in his beak. 

He waves the fish around and his mate flies over.

His mate cuddles up to him and he dangles the fish over her. 

He is on a constant lookout for fish thieves. She huddles submissively under his chest. 

The nest observer from Fish and Game took notes and said she saw a few mating in the last few days and thinks that the terns are still laying eggs.

The male looks towards us and checks to be sure he is not in danger. We are all behind the chain link and far enough away from these terns. 

The female turns still crouched.

What a sweet pair. 

He stretches his wings out.

It appeared that we were watching a courtship and maybe a mating of a bonded pair.

The female bows and he floats up.

The female turns her head around to receive the fish that the male has offered. A love token to let her know he is a great fisherman and that he is very capable of caring for hatchlings.

He offers the fish by placing it in her beak.

She grabs for her gift. 

Food transfer.

She has a firm grip on the fish and he lets go.

I notice this is not a mating. It appears to be a bonding ritual. He is delivering a gift, a love token to strengthen their bond.

The fish is not happy about this.

Now she has a firm grip of the fish and he is flapping his wings but her tail is anchored to the ground. 

She has a good grip of the fish and starting to move forward away from the male. 

LOL, she yanks on the fish and rolls her body slightly as if to say, OK, off with you.

 

Got the fish and she wants to leave to eat her snack. 

LOL, I think she is saying something like, "Thanks for the fish, now go and get me another one"!

He is probably saying something like, Where's my egg? I want my egg!!

Off she goes. 

The male looks a little disappointed as she flies away with her prize.

Oh my, a Great Blue Heron gets too close to the nesting area. He is escorted out by a protective adult Least Tern. He keeps flying and the nest area is safe again.

I waited for over an hour to get a photo of a food delivery to the chicks. I was watching and watching but a follow birder came up behind me and asked where all the nests were. I took my eyes off the subject for a moment and I missed the delivery! Here is what I managed to get. One of the chicks at nest #1 got the prize.

 

His nest mate is not happy that he missed out.

The little chick swallows the fish as fast as possible.

Almost done, his nest mate watches intently.

 

The chick that did not get the fish is now badgering mom, "Where is my fish"?

I want my fish now!

The parent gets the hint and stretches those beautiful wings as she gets ready for flight.

Off she goes. 

 

The chicks watch the parent with that look. They get that look when they want to fly too. It will be very soon for these two. Now itt's time for lunch for me and I head to my camper van for a nice picnic lunch.

  

As I approach the bridge, a beautiful Osprey flies by.

And look at this beauty resting under the bridge. A Ridgway's Rail.

The gal from Fish and Game told me that there were a few youngsters but they must have been sleeping in the pickleweeds. I didn't see any of them. 

Looking towards the man-made tern island, the gull was still there. 

What a treat and a fantastic way to end my birding day at Bolsa Chica! I spot a Least Tern hovering near the bridge. 

These little terns hover much like a kingfisher. 

Looking for fish. 

One last look and it's time to say good-bye to this beautiful bird. Hope to come back soon and maybe I will see those magnificent Black Skimmers next time. 

Have a wonderful week everyone!