Tern nesting colonies on Poplar Island are surveyed by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) biologists in Talbot County, Md. on June 28, 2023. Working with the Diann Prosser Research Lab at USGS, the team has been surveying least tern and common tern nests to track the productivity of the species. Although the Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project has been a success, these two species of tern populations have been unstable. In particular, the herring gull poses a threat to young chicks and eggs. The team walks along nesting colonies to estimate the number of nests that successfully hatch at least one egg and the number of chicks that survive to fledglings. Chicks are banded and recorded if recaptured. Read the full story
