I don't think they gathered the wrack themselves. I know this beach very well.
The wrack has been there long before and it is all over the rocky beach and I
suspect that it has been used by Willet for nests sometime.
I remember once I saw a couple of willets go crazy when I came very close to
what looked like their nest but I couldn't find it and few weeks late, they
have chicks there.
---- On Thu, 03 Jun 2021 10:58:37 -0400 Smith, Jason Y (DEC)
<jason.sm...@dec.ny.gov> wrote ----
> div.zm_6577200324689976142_parse_-3632554252250034675 P { margin-top: 0;
> margin-bottom: 0 }Charadriiformes seem to be willing to keep trying to find
> ways to adapt to the loss of nesting habitat. It's nice to see AMOY are no
> exception. I've even seen reports of AMOY trying to adapt to rooftop nesting
> as the terns and skimmer have too. So, while intriguing it doesn't
> "surprise" me to hear of them trying a different strategy. Wrack, what you
> refer to as straw, is a common nesting substrate available on beaches and
> marsh islands.
> What would be interesting to know is did the AMOY gather the wrack to nest
> on, or did they capitalize on an existing deposit of wrack.
> The real question is since they are willing to adapt...are we?
>
> Jason C. Smith |Biodiversity Ecologist
> New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
> 47-40 21st Street, Long Island City, NY 11101
> Phone: 718-482-4919 | Fax: 718-482-4502
> Email: jason.sm...@dec.ny.gov
> "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we
> created them" -Einstein
>
>
>
>
> From: Gus Keri <gusk...@zoho.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 2, 2021 8:54 PM
> To: Birding alert, NYSBirds, Birding alert <nysbirds-l@cornell.edu>
> Subject: Very interesting finding ATTENTION: This email came from an
> external source. Do not open attachments or click on links from unknown
> senders or unexpected emails.
>
>
> While walking the beaches of Shirley Chisholm State Park today checking the
> area where Oystercatchers nested last year, I noticed a "nest-protective"
> behavior by an Oystercatcher, but it wasn't in the same area. It was in an
> area where there is no sand above the tide level. I have never seen
> Oystercatcher nest in areas other then sandy beaches. All the nests I have
> seen over the year were build on sand.
>
> Suddenly, another Oystercatcher flew off the rocky area after it saw me
> approaching. When I checked the place, I found a nest built on straws on top
> of rocks. It was very surprising to me. I know Willet build their nests on
> these straws but not oystercatcher.
>
> I remember that last year the Oystercatcher nest that was built over the
> very limited sandy area of this beach had failed and most likely because of
> a sea storm, The nest was very close to the high tide line.
>
> This year, the Oystercatchers decided to use a Willet method and build a
> nest on straws on top of the rock, way above the high tide line
> It is a nice way to improvise in harsh conditions and keeping the species
> going. A survival instinct, I guess.
>
> You can see photos of this nest on eBird:
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S89493742
>
> Gus Keri
>
>
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm
ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L
3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01
Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/
--
