Volunteers protecting least terns in Pass Christian

Volunteers are out and about, standing guard to make sure the federally protected least terns stay safe during the Fourth of July holiday.
Volunteers are keeping a close eye on the nesting grounds of least turns after losing 99 percent of the nests during Tropical Storm Cindy. Audubon Mississippi Stewardship Manager Molly Folkerts said, “About a third of the feathered chicks did survive and the parents are still caring for them. We’re observing courtship behaviors now and the birds are trying to re-establish their nesting colonies and we’re actually starting to see some new nesting at this time.”
Now that these birds have continued to nest along the shoreline in Pass Christian, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Audubon Society is educating the public about the presence of these colonies and making sure they are protected during the Fourth of July Weekend. “The adults are very protective of their young and it’s really energetically costly if they have to go after and dive-bomb people who are getting too close and things like that. As well as we are asking people if you choose to shoot off fireworks please do it as far away as you can because it actually startles the birds and causes the adults to leave the chicks and eggs, endangering them to exposure,” said Folkerts.
They are asking the public to avoid the shoreline of the roped off area which is a place for both the adults and babies to rest and cool off as well as feed their young. The Audubon Society will be out in full force everyday up until the Fourth of July to make sure these birds are not disturbed. “They are a really crucial part of our eco-system here. Coastal birds actually serve as biological indicators and indicators of the health of the Mississippi Sound and our eco-system as a whole. So, they’re really important to have here on our Coast,” said Folkerts.