Ocean Sentry
Simoneau helps to watch over a Black Skimmers colony on Indian Shores. Black Skimmers are birds of a species of special concern –birds whose populations are dwindling.
“We have about over 300 adults and about 100 chicks on the beach,” Simoneau said. “They are roped off by the St. Pete and Clearwater Audubon Society.”
Black Skimmers are the only bird in the world which have lower bills that grow bigger than their upper bills.
“They are called Black Skimmers because they feed by gliding along the surface of the water and skim the water with their lower bill,” said Clearwater Audubon Society volunteer David Hopkins.
Life on the Black Skimmers’ colony on Indian Shores beach is tough. Adults, the citizens of the largest colony in Pinellas County, scrape out small shallow nests and lay their eggs. The sand colored chicks and eggs face the predators– gulls, crows and humans.
As the human population took over the beaches, these birds face even more danger, Simoneau said.
“We took over their habitat. We try to give them a little piece of nature back so that they can successfully reproduce,” she said. “The Black Skimmers are here because they feel protected in this area by the sanctuary. They may know they are safe here.”
The sanctuary also works together with the beach nesting program at Eckerd College.
“Every day, the beach is loaded with people taking pictures of them,” she said. “We would like to invite the public to watch the chicks from the distance because they are just adorable.”
Hopkins says more volunteers are needed to monitor the bird colony.
“The more people we have working on this, the easier it is on everybody,” he said. “Man is expanding their houses and paving their habitats, people wanna work and live on the beach, play on the beach. Well, this is where the birds have made their nests for thousands of years.”
To volunteer at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary click on over to www.seabirdsanctuary.com , call (727) 391-6211.
(From myfoxtampabay.com, Florida, by Andrea Lypka)
