Nesting Season Reflection: The Birds That Connect Us

What can community bring to seabird conservation? Reflecting on my time as the Navarre Beach seabird monitor this past summer, working to protect imperiled beach-nesting birds along the Emerald Coast, I found myself appreciating the impacts community can have on birds like the Least Tern and Black Skimmer.

Throughout the nesting season, I had the pleasure of interacting with people from all walks of life, most showing compassion and curiosity for these birds, some locals, others only visiting for a short time. My shirt with the message across the back reading “Ask Me About the Birds” invited beachgoers to approach me with their questions. They asked where the birds came from, why they chose this specific spot to nest, whether they are always here, and what made the area so special to them. This led to many pleasant discussions with strangers that provided important information regarding the importance of this critical ecosystem and the role seabirds play within it all.

To encourage coastal visitors to learn more about the birds on the beach, we set up scopes near the nesting colonies for the curious to get a closer look. While looking through the scope’s eyepiece, beachgoers noticed the finer details and interesting behaviors of these charismatic birds: An adult Least Tern coming in to feed her visibly hungry chicks or a Black Skimmer adjusting its posture to sit more comfortably on its eggs.  These encounters create deeper connections between us and nature and can inspire others to care more about seabird conservation. 

Seeing how people light up after peeking through the spotting scope and sharing the excitement of observing these birds was so rewarding and helped me understand the importance of being out in the grueling summer heat watching over these vulnerable seabird colonies.

Unfortunately, these birds experience a multitude of challenges, including inclement weather, human disturbance, and predation pressure; the list goes on and on. The Audubon Florida team works hard to ensure these birds have a successful nesting season, but it’s not just us that makes the difference; it takes a community. Community is built when people come together for a common cause. I noticed countless examples of community members and partners who stepped up to protect these birds and their habitats, including volunteers, law enforcement, FWC, and the public.

Everyone played a role in their own way. Throughout the season, volunteers kept an eye on the seabirds and their activity, especially at one site located on a small stretch of open sand along the Navarre Causeway. It’s a complex spot for birds to nest, as cars are constantly passing, putting the birds in danger of getting hit, but this situation also helps limit the likelihood of unwanted predators finding their way into the colony. 

Volunteers provide more eyes on the site to help maintain order, such as filling in chick fence holes created by stormwater runoff, reporting chicks that found their way out of the fencing, or sadly, reporting road mortalities. Our local law enforcement was also a big help in enforcing reduced speed limits along the causeway. I was pleased to see members of the public showing their support by respecting the boundaries around nesting areas, keeping their dogs leashed and away from active colonies, and taking the time to appreciate these birds when passing by. 

Even more rewarding is the fact that many people took what they learned and shared it with others through social media and word of mouth. Seeing people take an interest in these birds and finding ways to help showed me that conservation does not always require large-scale efforts. Sometimes, it can start with just a conversation that raises one’s awareness and respect for the wildlife that share public spaces with them.

Throughout this experience, I learned that conservation is a team effort. Without the support of our community, protecting these species and their habitats would have been much more challenging. I hope people continue to explore the outdoors, stay curious, and ask questions about what they see, whether that be birds or all the other fascinating nature around them.