Sanibel beaches provide a year-round home for approximately 10 pairs of Florida’s 220 pairs of snowy plovers. Snowy plover nesting season officially began on February 15 and continues through mid-August.
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation staff and volunteers have begun beach monitoring for these state-protected birds, observing plover groups and looking for mating pairs. Snowy plovers nest and lay their camouflaged eggs on the beach where all of us are walking these days. When a nest is found, Sccf staff will mark it and begin monitoring the adults, eggs, and chicks until they can fly. Snowy chicks come out of their eggs running and feeding within hours moving up and down the beach with mom and dad close behind.
Join SCCF for their first Snowy Plover program on Thursday, March 15 at 10 a.m. at the Nature Center. Meet the staff and interns that run the monitoring program. People can also “Adopt-A-Plover” to support this program. A snowy plover display, coloring books and brochures are available at the SCCF Nature Center. Call 472-2329 for more information. To report a plover sighting, Call Joel Caouette at 472-3984.
Beachgoers, please keep a few things in mind as you walk and look for plovers:
· Honor leash laws. An unleashed dog can kill and adult bird or chick or trample a nest.
· Respect marked nesting areas. Too much human disturbance can cause birds to abandon their nest. Always remain outside of the staked area.
· Avoid flying kites near nesting areas. Plovers view kites as predators. A kite flying overhead can cause a bird to abandon its nest.
· Never chase birds on the beach. Shorebirds use the beach to nest, rest and feed. Forcing them to fly interferes with all of these activities.
· Fill in holes. Holes on the beach can trap chicks unable to fly. If trapped, chicks can die from predators or exposure.
Island Sun March 2, 2012
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