From our Audubon Anchor Shorebird Steward, Courtney Kern:
Hello my lovely stewards,
I know that many of you are anxiously waiting to hear how our beach is holding up. I did some surveying this morning with our fantastic FWC shorebird biologist Britt Brown, and decided to make some decisions about the weekend. I am going to have stewarding shifts open in the afternoons on Saturday and Sunday. If you would like to come out and see some adorable black skimmer chicks and a ton of migrant birds, now might be the best time to do so. I plan to be on the beach in the morning on both days as well, but I would not expect to see many beachgoers out there until the afternoon or so. As our nesting season is wrapping up, I would encourage you to come see some chickies if you have not had the chance to do so already. As for the red tide conditions, if you have any particular sensitivities to it, I would suggest limiting your time out there. It is starting to clear up, but there are still some dead fish and algae in the wrack line. I cannot express how proud I am of our birds. From the typical struggles they endure, to tropical storms and this horrible red tide, they have really fought hard. Thank you for all that you guys do to help them out.
For those interested there are pair of large Cooper's Hawks making a nest in a Mahogany Tree at 2201 Second St. Across from City Hall, they seem to be around all the time in a few trees