Red Knots Arriving at Residents Beach

Winter Shorebird Report: Brittany Piersma, field biologist for Audubon of the Western Everglades (AWE), and Lin Taylor-Winter, Shorebird Steward for AWE, do weekly shorebird and wading bird surveys at multiple locations on Marco Island and in Naples.

Piersma reported that the cut in the Tigertail Lagoon heading north to Sand Dollar has become one of the top locations for birds and all marine life to feed. It has naturally been shifting with storms and erosion, but there is no sign of any closure. She added that at this point there are two separate lagoons except for extreme high tides when the "northern" lagoon over washes into the "southern" lagoon.

Also, recently Piersma reported that there have been many sightings of endangered sawfish! The Roseate Spoonbills are at the lagoon almost daily with Reddish Egrets and a variety of other wading birds. According to Piersma and Taylor, they are waiting for the federally protected Piping Plovers to arrive from up north. They use this lagoon to feed and rest all winter long.

Recently, Red Knots have been showing up in large numbers with around 96 spotted on Resident's Beach. These birds travel around 9,000 miles from the Arctic to South America every year and back. When you see a flock of birds feeding along the shoreline, please walk around and give them space! You never know where they came from or where they might be headed!  

Also, Piersma reported they have been rescuing a lot of sick Laughing Gulls that cannot walk or fly. Thanks to Nick Bornstein, equipment operator (beach raker) for Collier County Coastal Zone Management, for always taking the time to help rescue birds while he manages the beach! It is a team effort amongst citizens, Marco PD and shorebird stewards in getting the injured/sick birds to von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida as soon as possible so they can be treated.

Feel free to stop by if you see Lin or Brittany doing stewardship on the beach with "Ask Me About the Birds" signs and shirts!

Sea Turtle Weekly Report – We have less than 2 months before the end of Sea turtle season

(October 31st).  We are seeing less and less sea turtle nests on our central beach. But it is disturbing to look at the report – Marco Island once again is trending high in disoriented nests.