I believe that the storm referred to was the one in early June (~ June 4) that was accompanied by very high tides. Other tern islands also had significant losses of nests from that storm.
For example, Stratton Island in York Bay lost roughly 30-40% of nests, but renesting there was successful. I've also been on Egg Rock this summer, and they also lost nests and had a lot of renesting extending their nesting season.
I'm guessing it is more likely that the current spike in the tern numbers that you are seeing is related to a local abundance of food bringing in terns foraging from Pond and Jenny Islands. Given the extended nesting season this year, it seems a bit early for terns to be staging for leaving the Gulf...but that too is coming soon.
Stella Walsh
Phippsburg, Maine map 6 totman Cove, Small Point and Dromore Bay--
I just saw an evening news piece (WCSH6) about the entire population of 1400 'terns,' (report did not specify species. If the footage was current, they looked like Common to me) having abandoned Matinic Island all at once after a storm recently (?JUne). It's the first time that has been noted, apparently. Fish and Wildlife does not know if they will come back to the island or not and are guessing that the birds will nest on other 'nearby'islands.
Phippsburg is a penninsula, not an island, but we are certainly 'nearby' to Matinic as the tern flies. For days I've noted astonishing numbers of terns around the Burg, hundreds in my own 'yard' here in Totman Cove. We have never seen anything even approaching the numbers we've had in here and up the road on Rt 209 on Dromore Bay.
Does anyone think that these could be the Matinic terns? The numbers we have had are way too many for them to be combined adult and fledged populations, which always jacks up the numbers toward the end of July and into August. These birds I'm seeing all have adult plumage too, not the sooty messy kid stuff of youngsters. Thoughts?
Robin R Robinson
Birding The Burg
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