--- GOLDENROD FOUNDATION ---

Coastal dunes form as dry beach sand blows inland. Plants act as a windbreak, trapping sand particles. The dunes become higher and wider as sand accumulates, protecting the coastline during storms. Colonies of common terns and other seabirds make their nests in the shelter of sand dunes.


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	Arctic Tern

	Common Tern

	Laughing Gull

	Northern Harrier

	Northern Mockingbird

	Peregrine Falcon

	Roseate Tern

	Savannah Sprarrow

	Short-eared Owl

	Snowy Owl

	Song Sparrow

	Tree Swallow

	Yellow-rumped Warbler

Arctic Tern	PHOTO: 1 2

On average, only five pairs of Arctic Terns nest in Massachusetts, with a few of these nesting annually on Plymouth Beach. Differentiated from the Common Tern by its all red beak, longer tail and high-pitched call, the Arctic Tern nests alone at the edge of dunes, and aggressively defends its nest. The best places to look for Arctic Terns on Plymouth Beach are at the edge of Common Tern flocks roosting on tidal flats (Arctic Terns frequently stand apart) or on the high sandy beach on the bayside near the point.