Does it really take a village to raise a child? If your child has wings and is a newborn Royal Tern, then, it might be true. The Royal Terns and Laughing Gull chicks I photographed in June (see 15 June blog) are nearly fledged. There were thousands of chicks hatched in the sand dune scrapes at Huguenot Park this summer. I would dare say about half of them are gone due to predators. The remaining Royal Tern hatchlings called “Downys” are few. The entire flock of adult Royals closely guards the few survivors.

Per the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology: “Young Royal Terns leave the nest scrape within one day after hatching and congregate together in a group known as a crÃ¨che. Eventually all of the chicks in a colony come to the crÃ¨che, which can have thousands of chicks ranging in age from two to 35 days old. A pair of Royal Terns will feed only their own chick, and manage to find it in the crowd, probably by recognizing its call.” As the young grow and begin to fledge and move out onto the beach to feed, the adults surround the remaining young in groups of 10-20 or more birds around a single downy. All incoming birds are called and challenged as they approach. A predator will be met with the fury of the entire Royal “aunts and uncles” that they can muster. And of course if a parent comes in to feed the downy the protectors all expect a little reward from time to time.

Royal Terns continue back and forth over the beach returning from the ocean with a variety of foods; small fish, minnows, large shrimp, eels and even squid. The latter often leave large “ink” blotch stains on the tern. They are usually be followed by other hungry Royals or Laughing gulls who pounce on them and steal the food whenever possible. Wealth redistribution they call it.

Only the strong survive. I am not convinced it took the small rural town I grew up in to raise me. I had two able and willing parents to do that and some mighty busy guardian angels. But that small town sure left a big influence on me. I think it was mostly good too. Be blessed. Harry

**It may look like a great day to be a Royal Tern on the beach...now look closer!**

**But if you are flying, it can get real crowded up there...Huguenot Air Traffic Control..we have a problem..**

**It does take a "village" of Royal Terns to protect one "downy" (see it in the center with orange legs?)**

**It's just me...so happy to see you this Monday!**

**Fish anyone? Raise your beaks if you want one..**

**The parents will only feed their own young which they recognize probably by its call...this was the wrong chick and the parent flew off with the fish.**

**Hungry young Royal Tern fledgling calls for food...**

**Filling the frame..an adult Royal Tern with a large fish flies by..real close too!**

**A Laughing Gull is in hot pursuit of the Royal Tern's fish prize..**

**Squid dinner with the ink stains to prove it....**

Instead of Meals on Wheels, Royals have EELS FOR  MEALS.. — **Instead of Meals on Wheels, Royals have EELS FOR MEALS..**

**Looking good..struttin their stuff...**

**Ghost Crab blasts out of its hole to defend its territory from another crab..**

**En Garde! Prepare to defend yourself intruder!**

**Ode to a Ghost Crab...this hapless crab was later eaten by a Ruddy Turnstone...**

**A Ruddy Turnstone has to eat too you know...**

**If you go right, I go left...A Ruddy avoids the lens..**

**A Sanderling hunts in the surf zone..**

Fledgling Royal Tern waiting for fish in the surf

**Laughing Gull Fledgling begs for food..**

Reflections on Broward is now "Mountain Musings"

It takes a village?