Terns show up regularly in the late spring. The least tern, Sterna albifrons , is the smallest of the terns, usually a mere 9 inches in length. But like its larger cousins it is adept at nose-diving for supper. On arriving at a potential feeding area, they fly fast and furiously. A late afternoon delight is to watch as they slow down and hover then quickly descend, grab small fish and take off.
Most terns are happy with fish from either the ocean or fresh water ponds.
Like true snowbirds the gulls go north each summer, flying up to the Jersey shore, Montauk, the Cape and other famous ocean retreats. Like snowbirds, they plan their return just before the first snow storms. The real Floridians, pelicans and numerous small waverunners, remain throughout the summer. The dunes and beach and vast ocean attract many species who depend on the seaside grasses, seaweeds and ocean bounty for nesting and for aging. In a small pocket of land, tucked in a corner of FAU's campus, a stand of flowering trees are beginning to show off their early summer colors.