As the seasons change, the shorebirds inhabiting the coast change as well. For example, the local terns have experienced some turnover. Most of the summer's Sandwich and Royal Terns have left for warmer climates in Florida or the Caribbean, and migrant Caspian Terns that bred farther north have pushed through as well. But, taking their place are smaller black-masked Forster's Terns. These medium-sized terns breed along the Atlantic Seaboard, including in North Carolina, and they winter here as well. Except for a few strays, these will be the only tern species we see regularly until the spring.

However, Katie and I are still seeing a few Royal Terns and Sandwich terns at the inlets in the southeast part of the state. This was a good thing for three Royal Terns that ran into trouble with fishing line or malnutrition. They were rescued by good Samaritans and rehabbed at the Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter in Oak Island. This week, they were ready to go. Because they are a social species, it's best to release rehabilitated terns in areas where there are other members of their species. The weekly Mason Inlet survey had turned up a handful of Royal Terns on Wednesday, so this Friday volunteers Marlene Eader and Cindy Young collected the terns and drove them all the way up the cape to Wrightsville Beach and the Mason Inlet Waterbird Management Area.

When the door of their pet carrier was opened, they took a few minutes to get accustomed to their new surroundings, took thorough bird baths in the swash, and stretched their wings. Before long they were headed across the inlet to join a flock of gulls and terns, and if they are lucky, to get some good directions south.

-- Lindsay Addison