Two groups will occupy the sandy real estate in Southwest Florida this Memorial Day weekend: people and shorebirds.
Beneath many human beachgoers there will be towels or blankets; underneath many shorebirds will be their next generation.
That’s why holiday beach sand worshippers will have a good chance of seeing an Audubon Florida volunteer nicely asking people to stay away from nesting areas.
Have a problem with that and walk where you will and there's a good chance the next person you will be chatting with is a uniformed Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission officer, who will ask why you’re not listening to the polite Audubon volunteer.
“Memorial Day is an especially important time for shorebird nesting, and it is important that we remember that we're entering their home when we visit the beach,” said Megan Hatten, the shorebird manager for Audubon Florida in the region that includes Collier, Lee, and Charlotte counties. “Be respectful. Please give them plenty of space.”
The reason both nonprofit volunteers and sworn law enforcement officers will be watching out for the shorebirds this and other weekends is that least terns, black skimmers, Wilson's plovers, and other shorebirds will take off if people or their dogs get too close, or too loud.
If disturbed too often, the birds will abandon their eggs and nesting sites.
“It's a very energetically taxing time for them because some of them have just traveled possibly hundreds or thousands of miles to get to where they are now,” Hatten said. “And then they're going straight into breeding season so it's a pretty vulnerable time for a lot of our shorebirds.”
For disturbing nesting seabirds, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission can impose fines of up to $500 and prison time of up to 60 days for each offense
Enforcement can be strict, especially during the nesting season when areas are often marked and monitored to protect these vulnerable bird populations.
The exact penalties can depend on the severity and nature of the disturbance, including whether it led to harm or death of the birds or their chicks.
For disturbing nesting seabirds, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission can impose fines of up to $500 and prison time of up to 60 days for each offense.
“People can help with the nesting success of waterbirds by keeping at least 300 feet from nesting shorebirds, seabirds, and wading birds,” said Florencia Morales, who coordinates protection efforts with the FWC for the Florida Shorebird Alliance. “By giving nesting waterbirds plenty of space, you can help avoid causing them to flush from their nesting sites, which would leave vulnerable eggs and chicks exposed to the elements and predators.”
RELATED: von Arx Wildlife Hospital needs donations
Sunlight lasting just a little bit longer each day and temperatures rising trigger breeding season for wildlife in Southwest Florida. The surge in baby animals is a natural part of nature’s cycle of life.
What’s not natural is how urban sprawl into pristine habitats affects so many younglings who have to deal with cars on roads, dogs and cats, and landscapers destroying nests.
The von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida has admitted over 475 baby animals in the last two months who’ve been abandoned when a parent was hit by a car, attacked by a dog, or displaced by a lawn mower. Some have had to stay for five months until they are well enough to be released back into the wild.
The wildlife hospital needs supplies to care for the little creatures.
On June 1, donations can be dropped off at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida Nature Center at 1495 Smith Preserve Way in Naples. Items essential to patient care include:
- Laundry detergent, unscented for high-efficiency washing machines
- Towels in good condition (all sizes)
- Liquid dish detergent
- Trash bags (13 and 33 gallon)
- Paper towels
- Iams Proactive Puppy Chow Large Breed dry with chicken
- Purina One Plus Healthy Kitten Formula dry food
Those donating items will receive a free admission pass to the nature center.
“Donating items is simple and an amazing opportunity to help the most vulnerable of all wild animals cared for at the wildlife hospital,” said Joanna Fitzgerald, director of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital. “The dangers and injuries baby animals encounter and endure are many, and without the care received at the wildlife hospital, they would have little chance at survival.”
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