![Page 1: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices
Michelle van DeventerSarasota Audubon Society
Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt on May 31, 1968 (Siesta Key, FL)
![Page 2: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Sarasota County & Beach Nesting Birds• 4 important spots for BNBs• Least Terns have nested on north Lido for over 40 years• Fledge rate not been sustainable (<0.56/pair) for ~5 years• Earliest reports are from the late 1960’s of ~200 nests on Siesta Key, in addition nesting on north Lido• Dramatic declines in beach nesting LETE due to coastal development and disturbance in 1960’s - 70’s, marked by their migration to gravel rooftops
• Sarasota County lost 36% of its beach/dune habitat from 1948 – 1987 (Source: SC Estuarine Shoreline Inventory Final Report, 1988. Mote Technical Report)
![Page 3: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Siesta Key and Least Terns
In past years, courting and mating have been observed on north Siesta Key, but no nesting has materialized. Why?
![Page 4: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
CHRONIC DISTURBANCES….
![Page 5: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
![Page 6: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
![Page 7: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Beach Raking Overview• FDEP issues “beach cleaning” permits– None of the 8 conditions for a beach cleaning permit offer
any protection to foraging, resting or breeding marine birds (see handout)
– Despite the impact on sea and shorebirds, the DEP is not “mandated” to protect birds
– Often only one DEP rep for large areas means little oversight and a lack of responsiveness
– FWC role is reactive rather than proactive• Public beach raking activities are generally just as
aggressive, if not more so, than private property grooming
![Page 8: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
May 2008 – north Siesta
February 2009 – north Siesta
![Page 9: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
![Page 10: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
![Page 11: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
![Page 12: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
![Page 13: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
![Page 14: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
![Page 15: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
![Page 16: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
![Page 17: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Renourishment:Where’s the Habitat??
• “An additional benefit of beach restoration projects is that they quickly restore shorebird and marine turtle habitat.”
• Why Restore Eroded Beaches? at www.dep.state.fl.us
• Raking starts almost before sand is dry• Historic nesting area are protected from
construction work – Nesting areas may also be eroded, subject to overwash
and need renourishment– Lack of raking oversight prevents flocks from moving into
new nesting habitat
![Page 18: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
BEFORE
AFTER AFTER
AFTER
![Page 19: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Lido Key, April 2009 Recently arrived Black Skimmers rest on a section of
renourished beach before being flushed by mechanical raking equipment.
![Page 20: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Summary
• Mechanical raking practices result in habitat loss and BNB declines both directly and indirectly
• Need for FWC involvement in beach cleaning permitting process is critical– Permit conditions must consider impacts to breeding and
wintering coastal bird populations, particularly imperiled species
• Better oversight of raking practices and effective enforcement of regulations
• Greater education regarding the connection between healthy beaches, waters and marine bird populations.
![Page 21: Beach Nesting Birds and Mechanical Grooming Practices Michelle van Deventer Sarasota Audubon Society Photo of Least Tern chicks taken by Kay von Schmidt](https://reader035.vdocuments.site/reader035/viewer/2022070411/56649cdf5503460f949a8e78/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)