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Date: | Tue, 20 May 2008 22:15:55 -0400 |
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In response to questions about Caspian terns and possible interference
from ring-billed gulls on Young Island: Caspian terns are big,
aggressive terns and hold their own nicely among ring-bills. In fact,
they seem to "bully" ring-bills for space. On Four Bros islands, where
I have watched nesting Caspians in the midst of 8000+ pairs of
ring-bills for the last 5 years, the two species seem to be quite
compatible. However, daytime disturbances of the terns by humans allow
ring-bills to prey on the tern eggs; they seem to do this more as an act
of aggression than for food (their chance to be the bully?).
I don't believe that reducing populations of ring-bills will enhance the
island for Caspians, but I do believe that avoidance of disruptive
activities, such as shooting of cormorants and gulls and planting trees
during the peak of the nesting season (two days after I observed the
Caspians starting a nest!) will encourage the terns to expand their
successful pioneering back to Young Island.
For more on the proposed [ongoing] management of this island by VFWD,
read the management plan: http://www.vtfpr.org/lands/islands.cfm
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