Always One Day Behind!

Tern chicks hatch with 5 o'clock shadow, I think that's what makes them so cute!

I didn't expect to see him as i walked by, I did a double take! The pips in our adjacent productivity plot have tripled overnight. More chicks are on their way!

Right on schedule, found this little bundle of joy right outside one of our productivity plots!  Tern chicks are Semiprecocial.  Their eyes are open, they can stand, and take food within a few hours of hatching.  These young chicks will stay under an incubating adult until food arrives, and quickly return to the warm safety of its parent after food is delivered.  We will be keeping track growth rates and fledging success through an enclosed sample of the population.  As well as the rate and quality of food delivered through a different sample of chicks.  All of this is about to start on islands across the Gulf of Maine stay tuned for more updates from Metinic and Petit Manan! Posts on provisioning, productivity and telemetry are coming soon!

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