By Stevie Steffey, Education and Outreach Coordinator

Photos by Don Riepe

Class: Aves

Order: Charadriiformes

Family: Rynchopidae

Genus: Rynchops

Species: R. niger

This month’s Species Spotlight focuses on one of New Jersey’s endangered shorebirds. The black skimmer is an interesting inhabitant of the eastern shore. Less commonly seen than gulls, terns, or even oystercatchers, these birds can be found in flocks gliding above the ocean with their bright orange bills slicing through the water. Black skimmers use their bills to feel for fish rather than using their vision like many birds. When the bird feels a fish against its lower bill it snaps its upper bill down. Without the necessity to see their prey they can easily feed at night when the water is calmer and the fish are closer to the surface. They are considered nocturnal although they are often active during the day as well. The name “skimmer” is characteristic of this bird’s feeding behavior.

Description:  On average, the black skimmer is 18 inches long with a 44 inch wing span. The wings are gull like, narrow and tapered. Sexes look similar with the male being slightly larger than the female. They are awkwardly shaped, being disproportionately longer than they are tall with large heads and bills.                                                                           

The black skimmer is black or brown above (breeding adults are blacker than non breeding adults) and white below. This coloration, called counter shading, is common among many species of birds. The dark color above allows skimmers to blend in with the dark sea so that predators above are less likely to see them. Similarly, the light color below allows the birds to blend in with the sky so that prey below also cannot see them. Juveniles look similar to adults but their backs are spotted with gray and white.                             

The most striking feature of this bird is its bill. The long pointed bill is bright red-orange at the base and black at the tip. The lower half of the bill is longer than the upper half. This makes it easier to catch fish as it flies above the ocean. This also makes it unique from any other North American species of bird.  Skimmers have webbed feet; however it is rare to see them swim. The legs and feet are a bright red-orange similar to their bill.

The call of this bird is a repeated bark or a “yip”.  You can hear their call by clicking on this link: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Skimmer/sounds.

Range/Habitat:  Black skimmers are found nesting along the east coast from Massachusetts to Florida and down into the Gulf of Mexico. They can also be found year round and wintering south of the Carolinas down into South America. They have also been seen increasingly along the pacific coast of California and Central America.                                                                                                                                    Black skimmers can be found overwintering inland near lakes and reservoirs. However, their nesting habitat tends to be strictly coastal, and includes sandy beaches, islands, and salt marshes.

Life History: Black skimmers nest in colonies along the coast. They are very sociable and are better protected from predators when in a group. The black skimmer’s nest does not consist of any nesting material and is simply a depression in the sand. Because nest sites are usually located at the high tide line, the eggs are often lost during storms and unusually high tides. Despite this fact, if the nest and eggs are inundated, they usually attempt to nest again at the same spot several times before moving further inland.                                                                                                                  

Females lay 2-5 eggs at a time, and only have one brood per year. The eggs are incubated for 21-23 days, and the young fledge after 23-25 days. Parents stay together throughout the breeding season and both partake in incubation and caring for the young. Unlike the adults, the bill of the young is the same length on top and bottom. This makes it easier for them to forage for food in the sand until they can fly and fish.

Conservation Status: Globally, the black skimmer is not a species of concern, but in New Jersey they are listed as an endangered species. In New York they are listed as threatened, and in North Carolina and Florida, they are a Species of Special Concern.

The black skimmer population in NJ has declined drastically since the 1800’s. Hunting and egg collection was the first blow to the population causing a large drop in population size. In 1918, black skimmers were placed under protection from these activities by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Like other beach nesting birds, such as the piping plover and oyster catcher, the black skimmer’s population continued to decline due to human disturbance and loss of habitat. Because the birds nest on the ground, humans can unknowingly destroy eggs by driving and even walking on the beach. A juvenile skimmer’s instinct is to duck down and hide in the sand when scared, making four wheel drive vehicles on the beach even more of a danger.                                                                                                 

 In 1979, the black skimmer was listed as an endangered species in NJ. Nesting colonies are now monitored and their nesting sites are protected from human disturbance. NJ’s population has remained relatively stable since they have been protected under the Endangered Species Act. However sea level rise will likely cause new threats to this species, as well as other beach nesting birds, as more habitat is lost.

Sources:

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Birds of North America Online, Texas Breeding Bird Atlas, Field Guide to Birds of North America, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, National Audubon Society.

Photos are courtesy of Don Riepe.

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Fish Condos Provide Window into Underwater World

A clothes hamper, some PVC pipes and a brick don’t seem to have much in common with fish, but if you combine them correctly they can make a perfect habitat and a window into the underwater world. The middle school students enrolled in our SeaQuest program combine those elements to make a fish condo that is submerged in local waters and then inspected on a regular basis to watch as fish, invertebrates, and plant life colonize the new habitat. This is a project that any class, scout troop, or environmental club can do with adult supervision if they have access to a nearby river or bay.

To make this lesson more user friendly and portable for teachers and students, we have put it in PDF format. Download fish condo lesson.

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In the Classroom: When we visit the classroom to enrich an existing science program, our offering is strictly hands on. Contact us to learn about bringing programs to your school stevie@littoralsociety.org.

On the Beach: The best way to learn about the coast is to go there. We run programs for groups of all ages and sizes at our headquarters facility on Sandy Hook, NJ; in Wildwood, NJ; on Jamaica Bay in Broad Channel Queens; and with the Carefree Learner in Sarasota, Florida.

Girl Scout Horseshoe Crab Survey results. Click here to see the results of their survey.

Girl Scout Eco-Blitz, 2008Spring 2008 saw the third annual partnership between the Rumson/Fair Haven Girl Scouts and the American Littoral Society on a large project to benefit the local environment. Each project has had an educational component in addition to a hands-on component, where the girls got into the field and did work that had a direct benefit to the ecosystem on Sandy Hook.

 

Our Eco-Blitz consisted of an educational presentation followed by surveys of the local environments that included plankton, underwater species near the shore, plants, and shells. The object was to survey what species were found, as well as discover what had changed when the same survey was done at a later time. This data is important because it may help us learn about normal cycles or detect signs of damage to the environment.This data will also be used in the educational programs of the Littoral Society and continually added on to as groups continue these surveys in the future. The Littoral Society compiled the results into a large spreadsheet and made that available to the scouts.

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Successful Third Year for Sedge Island Experience

 

This year an unprecedented alliance took place on June 16^th- 18^th between two schools from Camden and Newark. Six students from the Urban Promise Academy and six students from the North Star Academy came together for a cooperative and educational experience sponsored by the Littoral Society, which took place on Sedge Island, in Barnegat Bay, NJ. The event was organized and run by Jim Peck and Sara Bloom Leeds, with help from both Catherine Hogg and Tom Krebs, teachers from the North Star Academy, in addition to Jim Cummings, who runs the "Urban Trekkers" program in Camden. The students spent three days together, taking part in a number of synergistic activities that focused on the environment. Aside from meeting each other for the first time and having to live together, the students completed problem solving activities, and did hands-on research for their own individual science projects which they had developed ahead of time; all while learning to conserve energy. In addition, the students had to plan their own meals and take turns cooking for everyone, and even got a rare chance to successfully work together in order to help a stranded family whose boat had become lodged on a nearby sandbar.

 

Furthermore, the students were able to see terrapin turtles coming ashore to lay their pinkish-colored eggs, and were lucky to get a visit from John Wnek, a scientist who studies the turtles and their nesting habits. John explained how he tags the terrapins so that he can keep track of each one that returns to the island, and he talked about the studies he is performing in regards to their nests before answering questions.

On the second day, the students went on a seven-mile kayak tour of the estuary, while paddling towards the dike at the tip of Island Beach State Park. They were given initial instruction by expert kayaker Jim Merritt, who is also the director of programs at Sedge Island. After exploring and eating lunch, they returned to work more on their projects, utilized some free time by fishing, clamming, or swimming, and then just relaxed and observed nature. It was a great learning experience, and a beautifully calm day on the bay; a welcome change considering that the night before was somewhat stormy.

On the last morning at Sedge Island, the students presented their project findings by giving oral reports. Some even shared their feelings and experiences. One student named Chris from Newark shared the following poem which he had written: An Island Like You
Mirror
Not in the rear view
Viewpoint
Perspective
Success is a journey
Not a destination
Destination never culminates
Even after decimation
A mark is left
Whether big or little
Follow your intuition
You can never fail
What is success?
If you never fail
Opposing forces clash when not in agreement

An island like you
You may never see it
Never characterize possible as impossible
Then your mind shall never be sinkable
Key to life
Life ABCDEFG of the piano
I complain because of my ability
Offspring fly 1,000 miles for free
Money is personified as mankind"s motivation
Why isn"t it fighting the temptation?

An island like you
Cannot be sought through excavation
Instead contemplation, meditation, isolation
Archeologist cannot find one"s passion but only you
Even in the midst of far worse struggles, its an island like you

Society Members Get Immersed in the Pine Barrens

 

On June 20- June 22, The Littoral Society hosted an excursion to the Pine Barrens, in order to give people the opportunity to immerse themselves into this lesser-known natural gem and cultural area of New Jersey. Participants on the trip spent the first day canoeing down the beautiful tea-colored Wading River, whose reddish color was due to iron leaching in from the surrounding environment. Despite the fact that there were a few "spills" along the way, everyone was able to enjoy themselves and absorb the scenery as they went. Native plants such as wild Cranberry, Swamp Azalea, and Atlantic White Cedar were prominent in addition to various wildlife species such as turtles, snakes, birds, and many insects.

 

Afterwards, participants traveled to Mt. Misery, a rustic camp where they would be staying for the remainder of the trip, located off of Route 70 in the heart of the Pine Barrens. After settling in and eating dinner, everyone enjoyed a simmering camp fire and the marshmallows they roasted over it. Everyone also listened to the call of the whippoorwill, went searching for frogs, and did some star gazing before going to bed.On the second day, a long car caravan snaked its way around the sandy dirt roads exploring many places in the Pine Barrens such as Apple Pie Hill, which is the highest point in the area, the historic Buzby"s General Store, Pakim Pond, and the Pygmy Pine Forest. That evening, participants made their way to Albert Hall, a quaint and charming place where various musicians gather to play bluegrass, and other styles of country music. They enjoyed hearing them in the "Pickin Shed" outside before the show, and tapped their feet to the lively tunes that were played well into the night.

On the second day, a long car caravan snaked its way around the sandy dirt roads exploring many places in the Pine Barrens such as Apple Pie Hill, which is the highest point in the area, the historic Buzby"s General Store, Pakim Pond, and the Pygmy Pine Forest. That evening, participants made their way to Albert Hall, a quaint and charming place where various musicians gather to play bluegrass, and other styles of country music. They enjoyed hearing them in the "Pickin Shed" outside before the show, and tapped their feet to the lively tunes that were played well into the night.

The final day consisted of a guided car tour of Whitesbog, an historic town which is known as the place where the first commercial blueberries were raised and cultivated. It is also home to many old cranberry bogs which are still in use today, and many innovations for harvesting them were developed in this town as well. Organizers and group leaders were Jim Peck, Frank Steimle, and Sara Bloom Leeds.

Adventures with the Red Bank Charter School"What a wonderful experience for the kids!" "You have treated [them] wonderfully; patient, humorous, kind, and yet you challenged them." This is just some of the praise expressed by the teacher who brought a different group of students each week to Sandy Hook from the Red Bank Charter School"s "SummerInstitute" in order to participate in a series of educational summer programs provided by the American Littoral Society and run by Jim Peck and Sara Bloom Leeds. These children partook in various activities; the first of which allowed the children to literally (or "littorally") get their feet wet as they went seining in the bay and learned about the vast amount of sea life that can be found there in addition to identifying what they caught. The students also engaged in a marine forensic science activity in which they used analytical techniques to solve a hypothetical mystery involving a "Missing Man" whose shoe was found. Within the shoe were pieces of shells, plants, sand, and water. After learning how to analyze the specimens using a number of laboratory instruments such as microscopes and a refractometer, students were able to gather data which helped them figure out, based on charts of zones along the Jersey shore, where the man most likely lost his shoe and thus most likely would be found. Finally, the last activity involved touring the historic site of Battery Potter in Fort Hancock, located at the tip of Sandy Hook.

 

Overall, the students thoroughly enjoyed the activities. According to their teacher, they appreciated the hands-on approach, which they found very valuable, especially since many of them have never had a similar opportunity before. We hope to see them again next year!

CURRICULUM FOR THE COAST

 

The American Littoral Society is pleased to present our Curriculum for the Coast, educational modules designed to give teachers, students, and other curious people a better understanding of how our coast works.
In our nearly fifty years of advocating for the coast, we have learned that knowledge definitely equals power as we work to empower others to care for the coast. Coastal ecosystems are some of the most complex on the planet. Lack of understanding of how coastal ecosystems work and the impacts human behavior has on them is one of the biggest barriers to our work of empowering others to protect, preserve, and advocate for the coast and its resources. If you know of anyone who might be interested in using these materials, please spread the word.
We thank our member and volunteer, George Moffat, who has invested countless hours researching and writing these modules for the Society.

Module 1: Global Warming

Module 2: Coastal Wetlands