BIRDS: Frightened off nests

Beaches Program, DOH-Manatee collects water samples at select beaches each week. The samples are then sent to labs to determine whether or not levels of enteric bacteria (enterococci) – which can cause human disease, infections or rashes – are acceptable based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards.

Sample test results taken at Palma Sola South on June 19 and June 22 had shown elevated levels of enterococci bacteria.

CLEANUP: Special Olympians clean Anna Maria beach

FROM PAGE 3 and bottled water, the group made their way down the beach, walking toward Bean Point, accompanied by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella. While scouring the beach for trash, the group learned about sea turtle nesting habits.

After discovering turtle crawl tracks from the previous evening, Mazzarella pointed out where the crawl started near the water and ended at the nest.

“When she crawls up on the beach, she’s on her belly and her flippers push back as she’s dragging herself up the beach to nest,” she said.

She explained how Turtle Watch volunteers monitor the beaches and mark the new nests; and how a female turtle lays between 100-120 eggs in each nest and repeats that process five to seven times before heading off to a forging ground to renourish herself. Mazzarella said the temperature of the sand determines if the turtle eggs hatch females or males.

“If it’s hot sand, they’re girls. If it’s cool sand, they’re boys,” she said.

Mazzarella also pointed out a group of manatees swimming offshore.

“This is our first time doing a beach cleanup," said Pam Fazio, the Special Olympics Florida manager of sports administration for Manatee and DeSoto counties. "It’s also educational. We have all kinds of intellectual disabilities out there, including Down syndrome and autism, and this gets them out in the community."

“That builds their confidence,” Administrative Assistant Sue Fitzgerald added.

After the cleanup, the group boarded the trolley and rode back to the Michael Saunders Realty office in Holmes Beach where they were treated to lunch and goody boxes.

FROM PAGE 8 and rely on the group to protect them from people, crows and laughing gulls.

Last year, Anna Maria Island did not host any known nesting seabirds or shorebirds.

“However, other barrier islands had very large colonies,” Doddridge said. “Gulls nest on Egmont Key, Passage Key and the spoil islands of Hillsborough Bay. Why do they prefer one area over another? People and predators.”

The uninhabited Passage Key is a mile north of Bean Point. President Theodore Roosevelt established the Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge in 1905 to preserve nesting colonies of native seabirds and wading birds. More than 50 species of birds have used this small area, including nesting American oystercatchers, black skimmers, royal and sandwich terns and laughing gulls.

“We can help shorebirds by not disturbing birds that are resting or nesting on the beach, respecting posted nesting areas by keeping our distance and also by cleaning up our food trash so it doesn't attract crows and other predators to the beach,” Mazzarella said.

“It is best to keep at least 300 feet from nesting shorebirds, seabirds and wading birds to prevent them from flushing from their breeding sites, leaving vulnerable eggs and chicks exposed to the elements and predators,” according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website. “Shorebirds and seabirds also nest in shallow scrapes in the sand and their eggs and chicks are well-camouflaged, making them vulnerable to being stepped on.”

Shorebird nesting season runs from Feb. 15 through Sept. 1.