Birds frightened off nests

Local experts say the birds likely disbanded due to human and predator disturbance.

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH - A rare nest of shorebirds was identified on Anna Maria Island beaches last month, but within days, it was gone.

“We posted a black skimmer colony in Holmes Beach earlier in the summer, but due to human disturbance and crows, all nests were destroyed and the colony was abandoned after only three days,” said Kristen Mazzarella, executive director for Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring. “Currently, we do not have any nesting shorebirds on the Island.”

Mazzarella expressed hope that the nesting birds joined a larger colony nearby with more protection and less disturbance.

“Shorebirds are extremely sensitive to disturbance. If there is too much human or vehicular traffic through an area that they are scoping out for nest- ing, they will move elsewhere,” she said. “If a colony is established (eggs are laid) and humans get too close, the birds will leave their nests unprotected to chase away the humans, at which point crows and other predators will swoop down and steal their eggs.”

Kathy Doddridge, a Turtle Watch volunteer who conducts a twicemonthly shorebird survey of the Island, agrees with Mazzarella’s assessment.

Bird Tips

During bird nesting season, February to September, please follow these tips:

• Never touch a shorebird chick, even if it’s wandering outside a staked nesting area.

• Teach kids not to chase birds – if they’re disturbed, bird parents may abandon nests.

• Don’t feed birds – our food is not good for their health, and it encourages them to fly at people aggressively.

• If birds are screeching and flying at you, you’re too close.

• Avoid posted bird nesting areas and use designated walkways to the beach.

“Unfortunately, there are no shorebirds nor seabirds nesting on AMI,” she said, a more and more common occurence. “The black skimmer colony in Holmes Beach disbanded after human disturbance.”

Gulls, terns, American oystercatchers, skimmers and sandpipers use AMI beaches to rest during peak migration periods. Skimmers and least terns nest in colonies

SEE BIRDS, PAGE 11

• Keep pets away from bird nesting areas; dogs are not allowed on the beach by law.

• Keep the beach clean; food scraps attract bird predators such as raccoons and crows to the beach, and litter can entangle birds and other wildlife.

• If you see people disturbing nesting birds, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).