ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fla. (WWSB) – Shorebird colonies are active on Anna Maria Island, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.
Monitors reported 27 Black Skimmers on eight nests and 23 Least Terns on 12 nests. Three Least Tern chicks hatched between June 10 and June 12, according to AMITW.
The chicks will stay in the nest scrape for the first few days as adults bring them fish. As they gain strength, they may begin moving through the enclosure and possibly outside the posted boundaries.
That creates a risk for beachgoers.
AMITW said the chicks are tiny and camouflaged. They may crouch down when they sense danger, making them easy to miss and vulnerable to being stepped on…