Watch out for shorebirds on the beach this weekend

Memorial Day is considered the kick-off of the summer holiday season which means many people will be heading to the beach.

If you are on the beaches this holiday weekend, the Audubon Society would like to remind you to be mindful of nesting birds, as even a minor disturbance can destroy a nest.

A variety of protected birds are currently nesting on Franklin County’s beaches, including terns, black skimmers, snowy plovers and Wilson’s plovers. 

Most of these species nest in the open and lay well-camouflaged eggs directly on the sand, making them nearly invisible to predators and to the untrained human eye. 

You can help protect the birds by moving parties, picnics and fireworks away from nesting areas.

Just approaching a bird is enough to flush birds away from their nest.

When birds are forced to fly off their eggs, it exposes the chicks to predators and to the impacts of the Sun.

Many beach nesting areas are marked to keep people away.

In Franklin County many birds also nest on the old St. George Island bridge causeway, and on the island near the big hump of the Apalachicola bridge.

Those area are only accessible by boat and are off limits to humans through August.

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