Old SGI causeway off-limits to people through shorebird nesting season

The St George island causeway is now off limits to people until august 15th.

This is the time of year shorebirds use the causeway for nesting, so the state says no people or pets are allowed on the sites.

A number of protected bird species nest on the island, including 4 species of terns, as well as black skimmers, brown pelicans, and American oystercatchers.

All of the different species are protected and some are listed as threatened species or species of special concern.

When people walk through the nesting area, they not only tend to step on eggs, but they also scare off the birds, exposing the chicks to direct sunlight and predator birds.

And because of coastal development, the birds are running out of safe places to nest, so please try to find others sites to fish from until nesting season ends in mid-August.

The bird island off the Apalachicola bridge, which is another popular nesting site, will close on April the 1^st.

http://live.oysterradio.com/