July Kicks Off Shorebird Nesting Season

DOT ORG. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO GET OUT IN THE FLORIDA SUN, ONE OF THE MORE ENJOYABLE WAYS TO SPEND YOUR TIME IS ALONG OUR BEACHES AND YOU WON'T BE ALONE AS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAS SEEN A BOOST IN SHOREBIRD NESTING FOLLOWING YEARS OF HURRICANES AND COASTAL DEVELOPMENT, SEVERAL SPECIES HAVE SEEN A REBOUND IN NUMBERS THIS NESTING SEASON. THAT INCLUDES THE POPULAR BLACK SKIMMER. THE SANIBEL CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION SAYS THE BLACK SKIMMER HAS RETURNED TO THE ISLAND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS, AT LEAST 15 BLACK SKIMMER NAST'S HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED SHOWING SIGNS OF PROGRESS. >> MEGAN HATTON JOINS US NOW AS SHE IS AUDUBON. FLORIDA'S. >> SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SHOREBIRD PROGRAM MANAGER AND YOU WERE JUST TELLING ME THIS IS REALLY A BUSY TIME RIGHT NOW FOR BIRDS. THEY ARE IN TRANSITION. THE WHAT IS GOING ON. >> YES, SO WE ARE ABOUT TO WRAP UP THEIR BREEDING SEASON. SO FOR SURE BIRDS THEY BREED FROM ABOUT MARCH TO THE END OF AUGUST, SO WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF CHECKS. THEY'RE ABOUT TO FLEDGE, WHICH MEANS THEY CAN FLY. FINALLY. SO THEY'RE LEARNING HOW TO FORAGE IN ALL THINGS ON THEIR OWN AND WE'RE MOVING INTO MIGRATION. SO WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO SEE A FEW EARLY COMERS SHOWING UP ON OUR BEACHES FROM OUR NORTHERN STATES. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SOME BIRDS THAT NEST HERE LIKE EARLY STEARNS THAT ARE GOING TO START MOVING OUT OF THE AREA AND DOWN UNTIL LIKE THE CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH AMERICA. SO A LOT OF MOVEMENT COMING IN AND OUT OF FLORIDA RIGHT NOW. >> WHAT KINDS OF SHOREBIRDS WOULD WE EXPECT TO SEE IF WE HEAD OUT TO OUR OUR WATERWAYS RIGHT NOW? >> YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF OUR NESTING SPECIES. SO WE'LL HAVE BLACK SKIMMERS WILL HAVE OUR LEAST TERNS WILSON CLOVERS, SNOWY PLOVERS KIND OF THOSE ARE AN AMERICAN OYSTER CATCHERS ARE MAINE, 5 NESTING SPECIES FOR OUR AREA. I HAVE BEEN STARTING TO SEE A LOT OF WELL, IT'S COMING BACK INTO OUR AREA SHORT. SO THAT LETTERS ON THESE ARE ALL MIGRATORY SHOREBIRDS THAT ARE FINISHING UP NESTING THE NORTH'S AND THEY'RE STARTING TO MAKE THEIR WAY DOWN HERE. SO IT'S AN EXCITING TIME TO BE OUT THERE BECAUSE YOU'LL START TO SEE SOME OF MORE INTERESTING SURE. BUT RETURNING TO THE AREA THERE. SO BEAUTIFUL, AREN'T THEY? NOW WE HAVE HEARD THIS REALLY REMARKABLE NEWS THAT IT'S BEEN MORE THAN 30 YEARS. BUT NOW BLACK SKIMMERS ON SANIBEL ARE HAVING BABY CHECKS. YEAH. >> WHAT HAS CAUSED THIS TO OCCUR NOW AFTER SO LONG. >> SO OBVIOUSLY AFTER AND THE CAUSEWAY WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AND THERE WAS A LOT OF REBUILDING HAPPEN ON THERE. PART OF THE REBUILD WAS LAYING DOWN NEW GRAVEL FOR ALL THE PARKING AREAS. GRAVEL LOOKS A LOT LIKE CURSE. AND SO WE ALREADY AT HADLEY STEARNS IN THE AREA NESTING THE BLACK SCAMMERS ARE NEW ADDITION TO THIS YEAR. I KNOW SCCF WHICH IS THE SANIBEL CONSERVATION GROUP MONITORS THAT AREA. AND SO THEY WERE REALLY EXCITED WHEN THE BLACK SKIMMERS CAME. AND NOW THEY'RE VERY EXCITED THAT WE'RE HAVING CHECKS STARTING TO HATCH. AND THEN LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S BEEN 30 YEARS AND JUST THAT ONE LITTLE CHANGE OF ENVIRONMENT ADDING IN THAT NEW GRAVEL OPEN AREA REALLY INVITED THEM IN. >> WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DISTURBANCES TO THE HABITATS OF OUR SHOREBIRDS. HUMANS IS ONE OF OUR BIG WHEN THEY'RE OUT AND BEACHES ARE BIRDS WHEN THEY'RE BREEDING. THEY'RE TRYING TO PROTECT THEIR NAS THAT TO STAY THEIR EGGS ARE RIGHT ON THE SAND. AND IF YOU'RE OUT IN THE BEACH, YOU KNOW HOW HOT THE SAND IS. SO THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO STAY ON THEIR EGGS TO KEEP THEM SAFE. IF THERE'S PEOPLE WALKING TOO CLOSE OR EVEN A DOG WALKING TO CLOSE THOSE BIRDS GET SCARED OFF AND THEY'RE NOT SITTING ON THEIR EGGS. THEN LEAVING THOSE EGGS VULNERABLE TO THE HEAT AND ALSO THE PREDATORS. SO THERE THERE'S A LOT OF THREATS AND YOU'RE ALSO THINKING SEA LEVEL RISE IS ALSO CAUSING HABITAT TO CHANGE. SO AREAS THAT USED TO BE SAFE NOW, MAYBE FLOODING BECAUSE THAT THAT WATER IS COMING UP HIGHER THAN IT HAS BEFORE MAKING THAT SAY NO LONGER A VIABLE SITE >> AND YOU ARE ONE THAT HELPS TRACK ALL OF THESE MOVEMENTS THROUGH THIS MIGRATORY BYRD INITIATIVE. WHAT IS WHAT IS THIS INITIATIVE AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? SO THE INITIATIVE IS TO >> GATHER AS MANY DIFFERENT PARTNERS WE CAN FROM ALL THE WAY FROM INTERNATIONAL FEDERAL LEVEL DOWN TO LOCAL CHAPTERS AND VOLUNTEERS TO FILL KNOWLEDGE, GAPS OF THE ANNUAL CYCLE OF MIGRATORY BIRDS BECAUSE WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT LOT OF THEIR BREEDING SITES ARE KNOWN. WE HAVE PRETTY GOOD UNDERSTANDINGS OF WHERE THESE BREEDING SITES ARE. WINTERING SITES FOR MOST SPECIES. WE DO NOW KIND OF THAT IN BETWEEN POINT. EXACTLY KNOW WHERE THEY'RE STOPPING, WHAT AREAS ARE. SO BY FILLING IN THOSE KNOWLEDGE GAPS OF THEIR ENTIRE ANNUAL CYCLE HELPS AUDUBON FOCUS, THEIR CONSERVATION EFFORTS ON AREAS THAT IT'S THE HAS THE GREATEST THREAT TO THOSE BIRDS. SO FOR SEEN THAT CERTAIN SPECIES ARE ALL DYING OFF IN THIS AREA, WE COULD KIND TO ADDRESS. WHY IS THAT HAPPENING THERE? OR IF WE WANT TO LIKE TRY TO PROTECT CERTAIN LANDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT FROM GETTING DEVELOPED. WHEN IDENTIFIES THOSE AREAS THAT ARE MOST NEEDED FOR BY LEARNING MORE ABOUT DIFFERENT SPECIES, FULL MIGRATION ROUTES. SO THEY'RE USING MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRACKING DOWN FROM. I DO VERY LIKE POPULATION COUNT SURVEYS. BUT THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE DOING RADIO TELEMETRY THROUGH THE NETWORK. SO THEY THE CAPTURE BIRDS BANNED THEM. PUT. YOU MIGHT SEE SOME BIRDS WITH LEG BANDS ON THEM. SO THAT'S ONE WAY THAT WE CAN TRACK THEM. AND THEN THEY ALSO GET THESE LITTLE BACKPACKS THAT OUR LITTLE RADIO SIGNALS AND AS THEY'RE FLYING, THERE'S THESE TOWERS TO THE MODUS NETWORK THAT WILL PAYING. AND BILL PAYING THAT BIRD OFF THAT TOWER. AND THEN THAT'S A DATA POINT IN QUITE THIS BIRD WAS HERE IN THE STATE AND THEN IT WAS AT THE NEXT POINT IN THE STATE. SO WE CAN KIND OF SEE HOW QUICKLY THEY'RE MOVING AND WHAT AREAS THEY'RE USING THE MOST SO DIFFERENT KIND OF TRACKING. BASED ON DIFFERENT BIRDS ARE HELPING US FILL IN THOSE KNOWLEDGE GAPS. AND THEN WE USE THAT TOO. COLLABORATE WITH ON ALL SORTS OF LEVELS. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. GREAT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. MEGAN HATTON AUDUBON, FLORIDA. I DON'T WANT TO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> HERE'S ANOTHER FACT ABOUT SHOREBIRDS FROM THE WGCU NEWSROOM. ACCORDING TO ALL ABOUT BIRDS, THE BLACK SKIMMER IS THE ONLY BIRD ON EARTH WITH AN EVEN BILLS. THE LOWER MANDIBLE IS SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER. AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, ALLOWING THE BIRDS FLY LOW, SLICE THE WATER AND SCOOP UP FISH PURELY BY TOUCH. YOU CAN FIND MORE ENVIRONMENTAL IN NATURE. STORIES BY CHECKING OUT OUR WEBSITE WGCU DOT ORG.