Summer in Southwest Florida is shorebird nesting season. FWC and the Audobon Club rope off critical areas of the beach to protect the nesting shorebirds which include plovers, skimmers and various terns. On Fort Myers Beach at Carlos Point and on Sanddollar Island at Tigertail Beach, Marco Island, large colonies of least terns and black skimmers set up their nesting areas this past summer.

Least terns are the smallest of North American terns. The colony at Little Estero was quite large in late June. As the chicks hatched however Mother Nature played a cruel trick and devastated the colony. TS Colin passed well off-shore but the on-shore winds and king tides inundated the beach and drowned all of the chicks you see here.

Least tern returning with a meal for its chick.

And the hungry chick awaiting its next meal!