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Wednesday, July 10, 2002
A not-so-common tern chick hatches in Casco Bay
Copyright © 2002 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||
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A common tern chick has hatched on Outer Green Island, marking the first time in 88 years that terns have successfully nested on the island at the mouth of Casco Bay. Lured by sound recordings and 100 life-sized decoys, nine pairs of common terns settled on Outer Green in June and started laying eggs. The first chick hatched July 5. This is the first time since 1914 that there's been a successful tern nest on the island, which is about 5 miles offshore from Portland. There are currently 19 other eggs waiting to hatch. Common terns are considered threatened in Maine. Recurring predation by gulls, mink, owls and other creatures that like to eat tern eggs has kept them from establishing breeding colonies on Casco Bay islands. A tern colony on Jenny Island, for example, was devastated in recent years by mink predation. Most of the terns that survived left the area and scattered along the coast. Biologists from the National Audubon Society, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began working on Outer Green in late April, before the migratory terns arrived, to discourage herring gulls and great black-backed gulls from nesting and laying eggs there. They used "screamers and bangers" - loud fireworks - to disperse any gulls that tried to nest. The first terns were spotted at Outer Green on Mother's Day, and in early June biologists camping on the island found the first eggs. Biologists were hoping that the presence of common terns would entice endangered roseate terns to nest on the island as well, but so far that hasn't happened. The Outer Green Island project was approved last August by the Gulf of Maine Seabird Working Group, a coalition that is working to protect seabirds and restore them to historic nesting areas along the Maine coast. Staff Writer Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at: mgoad@pressherald.com
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