Historic City News has learned that the Least Tern nesting colony at Porpoise Point has experienced a very successful year and is being considered as the only successful nesting colony on the northeast coast of Florida.
According to St. Johns County Administrator Michael Wanchick, other nesting colonies in St. Johns County, including Fort Matanzas National Monument and Summer Haven, experienced wash-overs from high tide events and predation — this caused the terns to relocate to other areas; such a Porpoise Point.
Volunteers from Audubon survey the area weekly counting and documenting the amount of eggs and chicks. The highest count so far has been just over 50 nests with multiple chicks becoming flight-capable daily.
The posted area will remain in effect until the last chick has become flight capable — estimated by Wanchick to still be a few weeks away.
Photo credits: © 2010 Historic City News contributed photograph by Dave Macri