Hear a story about a black skimmer.
Hear how the skimmer colony got started.
Hear more about the colony.
Hear skimmers and terns.
Hear a tip on how to protect baby chicks.

The largest black skimmer nesting colony on the Texas coast is located inside the industrial complex of Dow Texas Operations in Freeport. Approximately 1200 skimmers and terns nest here from April through August.

More than thirty years ago, in the spring of 1968, several black skimmers were found wandering among the cars in the parking lot next to the entrance of Plant A. They were attracted to the lot because it was covered with crushed oyster shell - an aggregate commonly used in place of gravel. The site also was well drained and located near salt marshes and the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. It was the perfect site for building a nest, or scrape.

When several pairs of skimmers were discovered nesting in the lot, a small section of the lot was barricaded to protect the skimmers and their scrapes. That first spring, 38 adults fledged seven young skimmers. Shortly afterwards, traffic was rerouted and the parking lot fell into disuse. In the years to follow, more skimmers used the old parking lot until the colony grew into the largest colony on the Texas coast.

Today the colony occupies a four-acre site, which is managed by Dow employees. The lot has been fenced to keep out predators, and proper grading and drainage are maintained. Two acres are covered with crushed oyster shell and another two acres with crushed limestone. The black skimmers and gull-billed terns make their scrapes in the oyster shell. The least terns prefer the limestone. Because the lot is located inside a manufacturing plant, there is little human disturbance. Nest disturbance is a major cause of chick mortality, which is attributed to heat stress and adult/chick separation.

Every summer since 1984, Dow Texas Operations has conducted an Open House to allow the general public to enter the plant and observe the nesting skimmers and their chicks. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own binoculars and spotting scopes to view the birds. The Open House provides citizens the opportunity to observe colony nesters in a very unique setting without fear of disturbing the birds. The 1999 Open House is June 26th from 9:00 a.m. til noon. Call 409-238-2323 for more information.

Over the years, the black skimmer has become the unofficial mascot of Dow Texas Operations and the nesting colony is an official site on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. The black skimmer is also the official emblem of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. Look for its image on the trail's brown and white highway signs, located along the Texas coast from Brownsville to Beaumont.

The Dow Chemical Companyis a major sponsor of the Passport to Texas Radio Series. Click here to learn more about what The Dow Chemical Company is doing to help promote nature conservation in Texas.