Marco Beach Comes Alive with Migratory Birds Arrival

Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of fall bird migration. During a morning visit to Marco’s beach, you will most likely be greeted by a noisy flock of birds just sitting and resting by the water’s edge. We are beginning to see that migration pattern fall into place with new species arriving every day from various locations. The real “snowbirds” are here!

According to Brittany Piersma, Biologist for the Audubon of the Western Everglades (AWE), starting in September until the end of March, AWE’s new shorebird steward is JJ. He will be at Residents Beach with other volunteers on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Look for “ASK ME ABOUT THE BIRDS” signs and shirts. They will also continue stewardship at Kice Shoals and Clam Pass in Naples. If you are interested in volunteering, email CollierShorebirdStewards@gmail.com.

Piersma shared that some of these birds will use our area as a stopover to refuel, whereas others will spend the entire fall and winter here. Depending on the species and individual bird, they can be traveling hundreds to thousands of miles. Large flocks of birds rest together for greater protection from predators. It is vital to give all the birds space so they are able to rest and stock up on vital food sources to make it to their final destinations. Most recent arrivals are the Red Knots and Black Terns. The Red Knots travel 9,000 miles to and from the Arctic to the tip of South America every year. Black Terns travel from Canada and northern North America down to northern South America.

Currently, Residents Beach is a great location to see large flocks of terns, black skimmers, gulls and mixed shorebirds. According to Piersma, it was exciting to see some banded Black Skimmers return to our area after they abandoned nesting on Sand Dollar Island and did not produce any chicks this season.