When setting up for a beach day, I like to look for the most open area I can find, as do many other beachgoers. An ideal spot to sit has as few people as possible, no disturbances, no one running over my towel or accidentally throwing a ball into my umbrella — a spot to just relax and enjoy my beach day. If I walk out onto Lido Key Beach and look north, I spot a group of birds that searched for and found the exact same thing.
Nesting Seabirds: Black Skimmers
Black Skimmers in Sarasota County began their search in March. While we humans are just looking for a spot to settle in for a few hours, these birds need to ensure this area is suitable for the entire summer as they raise their families. When they first arrived in Sarasota County this spring, they checked out the quiet north end of Longboat Key, but coyotes spooked them off their scrape nests before they began laying eggs. Some of the skimmers explored conditions on Siesta Key, but the sea of people blocked their view of the Gulf, and too many beachgoers encouraged them to lie elsewhere.
Next up: The birds started joining the small group already staging on North Lido Key. As more of the black skimmers discovered this area, the colony quickly grew, averaging about 1,100 adults. After some slight adjustments and moving even farther north, the birds settled around mid-April and started laying eggs by the end of the month.
Summer Nesting Spot
Settling a quarter mile from the nearest beach access point and over a half mile from the public parking lot, the skimmers chose a pretty good spot to set up camp. Most beachgoers stay as close to the public beach as they can to avoid dragging their supplies through the soft sand — this gave the skimmers more of a buffer than they’ve had in past years nesting on Lido Key. So far, the skimmer colony has fledged 430 chicks!
Nesting Challenges
The good news: The nesting area surrounded by Audubon-installed string fencing, located closer to the protective dunes and vegetation than the water, was not disturbed by humans much this season. However, during the hottest parts of the day, these seabirds wander down to the water’s edge to relax and cool off. Their trek takes them right through the path of people strolling along the beach.
Audubon Florida uses large yellow signs to draw attention to the birds that some folks don’t notice, even after living here for years. Signs reading “Please Walk Around Us,” “Bird X-ing,” and “Caution: Flightless Chicks” are installed to discourage beachgoers from storming through flightless flocks of our feathered cohabitors.
Audubon Protects Birds and the Places They Need
Audubon Florida stewards play an important role in helping people and birds share the shore successfully. These volunteers spend hundreds of hours out in the hot sun all summer long, ensuring that the birds have the most successful nesting season possible. Educating beachgoers and giving them a reason to care is the first step, no matter where the birds set up for the season.
Are you interested in becoming a bird steward? Click here to learn more!
