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Beach Weekend Spurs Effort To Protect Nesting Coastal Birds

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By SUSAN GREEN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 23, 2008

TAMPA - For thousands of boaters and beach lovers, the water beckons every Memorial Day weekend.

But many coastal birds are not taking vacations this time of year, and their hard work can be threatened by unknowing holiday revelers, say state wildlife officials and Audubon of Florida representatives.

Tampa Bay is a significant springtime nesting area for dozens of species, some of which are designated by government agencies or Audubon as needing special protection because of population declines.

Conservation officials have posted seasonal warning signs or roped off parts of islands and other areas to try to keep people away at the height of the birds' nesting season. Audubon representatives also will patrol the off-limits areas during the three-day weekend.

Even so, in past years people have been spotted with lounge chairs and umbrellas set up on beaches designated for bird reproduction, said Ann Hodgson, Audubon's coastal island sanctuaries manager in Tampa Bay.

Flushing birds, even for a few minutes, can keep them off their eggs or chicks long enough for the Florida sun to cook them, she said. Some birds camouflage their nests so well that a stroll on a protected beach can be deadly.

"It's not that people don't care. It's that the eggs, nests and babies of these birds are really hard to see until it's too late," said Nancy Douglass, regional nongame wildlife biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

"The posted areas let people know where these vulnerable nurseries are. By walking a few yards out of your way to avoid disrupting these families, you can help to ensure successful nesting and future generations of beach-nesting wildlife."

Officials said it's also especially important to keep dogs away from nesting areas.

Most of the targeted areas are off-limits only during the nesting season and will reopen to human visitors in the summer, officials said.

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