A Day in the Life: Seabird Anchor Steward

In the middle of a hot afternoon, between the glistening ocean and pristine white sands, I walk my wagon along the shoreline. Within the wagon is my umbrella, beach chair, binoculars, a camera, a notebook, and a huge blue sign on the top of the cart with the words “ Ask me About the Birds."

After a short walk, I arrive at my destination: a large, roped-off nesting ground, far up the sand and away from the threat of rushing waves. Packed between the ropes are hundreds of black-and-white birds with large, vibrant orange beaks, barking and burrowing holes in the sand. Under some of these birds, a tiny, cotton ball-like chick hides beneath the soft feathers of their parent, waiting for the other to arrive with a small fish for supper. Meanwhile, more adults claimed their spot along the shoreline, resting and bathing in the salt water.

This nesting ground, however, is not on some distant, uninhabited island accessible to only a few. These birds have made their nests amidst rows upon rows of brightly colored umbrellas, beachgoers baking on towels in the summer sun, and children screaming while playing between breaks in the waves just steps away. Thousands of people flock to these beaches for vacation, and a single summer season can host up to four million human visitors. Meanwhile, many of these visitors are just feet away from the nesting grounds of the state-protected Black Skimmer.

As people begin to walk along the shoreline, I set up blue signs on either side of the colony that inform beachgoers to walk around the birds — the protected Black Skimmers and their flightless chicks are resting here. I take a moment to scan the colony for chicks within the nests and along the water, and then pull out my notebook to take adult, nest, and chick counts.

The Importance of Education 

As hundreds of people walk by the colony, many curious visitors spot my blue signs and ask me about this large colony of odd-looking birds. As I explain how these birds are nesting, I point out some chicks, and many are awestruck by the tiny creatures. I always have a variety of people who come by to ask questions; some have lived in the area for decades, while others are visiting Florida for the first time. I always do my best to give people a positive experience with the birds.

I firmly believe that education about these seabirds is an eye-opening experience. Protecting wildlife is not just about being in some far-off jungle, hundreds of miles from civilization and away from the prying eyes of the public. Rather, conservation is as close to them as walking into their backyard or a public beach.

I feel proud to inspire and educate those who come up to me, whether it’s a group cooing at fledgling skimmers begging for food from a parent, kids wowed when they borrow my binoculars to get an up-close look at a newly hatched chick, or those inspired by stories of how banded birds return to the same area year after year to renest. Teaching people about the importance of respecting these birds is not only fulfilling for me, but can boost the birds' resilience on busy beaches now and into the future. 

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