October Wrack Line Newsletter

Newsletter of the Florida Shorebird Alliance October 2024 Photo by Britt Brown Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

In this Issue Events & Reminders FSA News FSD Updates Ebb Tidings Events & Reminders Post-season Partnership Meetings October 2: Timucuan. Email Hailey Dedmon (Hailey.Dedmon@MyFWC.com), Blair Hayman (Rebecca.Hayman@MyFWC.com) or Chris Farrell (Chris.Farrell@audubon.org). October 3: Suncoast. Email Holley Short (Holley.Short@audubon.org) or Elizabeth Forys (forysea@eckerd.edu). October 7: Collier-Lee & Charlotte. Email Megan Hatten (Megan.hatten@audubon.org) or Jacob Wozny (Jacob.Wozny@FloridaDEP.gov). October 8: Southeast. Email Natasha Warraich (twarraic@sfwmd.gov). October 9: St. Johns/Flagler. Email Hailey Dedmon (Hailey.Dedmon@MyFWC.com). October 9: Keys. Email Suzan Roebling (Susan.Roebling@MyFWC.com) or Barbara Overton (boverton@gmail.com). October 11: Space Coast. Email Amanda Hipps (Amanda.Hipps@MyFWC.com).  October 16: Treasure Coast. Email Niki Desjardin (Niki@ecological-associates.com).  October 17: Panhandle. Email Raya Pruner (Raya.Pruner@MyFWC.com) or Nick Vitale (Nicholas.Vitale@MyFWC.com). Reminder October 15: Florida Shorebird Database Data Entry Deadline. FSA News Imperiled Beach Nesting Birds Guidelines going live on October 1 In 2022, the FWC approved new Species Conservation Measures and Permitting Guidelines for four species of imperiled beach-nesting birds (IBNB): American oystercatcher, snowy plover, least tern and black skimmer. These Guidelines are taking effect today, October 1st, 2024. Guidelines clarify protections for the species, provide options for avoiding impacts, and provide information on permitting, including minimization and mitigation options, when impacts are unavoidable. The FWC launched an IBNB Guidelines webpage to help the public navigate this process. The IBNB Permitted Monitor application process remains open. This role is described in Appendix C of the IBNB Species Conservation Measures and Permitting Guidelines. For detailed application instructions, requirements and recommendations, please read “How to Become an IBNB Permitted Monitor” on the IBNB Permitted Monitors webpage. To apply, please visit FWC’s permitting website. The Qualified Rooftop Monitor training is also available on FWC’s eLearner webpage. More information about this role is available in Appendix E of the IBNB Permitting Guidelines. To become a Qualified Rooftop Monitor, you must take the training and pass the quiz to obtain your Qualified Rooftop Monitor Certificate.  For more information or questions, please contact us at Shorebird@MyFWC.com. FSD Updates Tuesday, October 15 is the final day to enter your 2024 breeding season data into the Florida Shorebird Database (FSD). All surveys contribute valuable information and help with answering long-term questions, even if the surveys didn't occur during a count window! Make sure you have entered and reviewed all of your: Route surveys (even if no nesting birds were observed) Shorebird nests (plovers, oystercatchers, killdeer, stilts, willets) Seabird colonies (terns, skimmers, gulls, pelicans) Roving chick sightings for shorebird chicks out of their nests Remember to enter flight-capable chick observations and include natal nest information whenever possible! Roving chick sightings for seabird young away from their colonies Rooftop surveys (even those without birds this season) And be sure to double-check that all of your shorebird nests, seabird colonies and rooftops have a final nesting outcome! In the coming months, the data quality control team will be reviewing records and reaching out for clarifications as needed. This is a normal part of the annual data review process and our conversations with you help us understand site-specific context and ensure that the dataset is internally consistent. Thank you in advance to all partners involved in this process! We appreciate your help! If you have any questions, need assistance, or want to request a data entry extension, please email us at FLShorebirdDatabase@MyFWC.com. We are happy to help! As always, if you experience any malfunctions with the FSD website, we encourage you to report them. Your feedback helps us create a better website! Thank you for being an essential partner in the shorebird monitoring program! Ebb Tidings Waterbird Society and Pacific Seabird Group Joint Meeting The Waterbird Society and the Pacific Seabird Group will host a joint meeting on January 6-9, 2025 in Costa Rica! Registration is open and closes on December 6th, 2024! For more information check the following websites: https://psg.wildapricot.org/annual-meeting and https://waterbirds.org/annual-meeting/

Want to get involved?   Email shorebird@MyFWC.com for more information about your local partnership.     Join the flock on social media: Florida Shorebird Alliance Facebook Group The Florida Shorebird Alliance (FSA) is a partnership of agencies, non-government organizations, and individuals committed to shorebird and seabird conservation in Florida. FSA partners coordinate their independent work and collaborate to address research, management, education, outreach, and public policy needs.

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