BRADENTON BEACH – The strong winds, high tides and storm surge of then-Tropical Storm Debby were too much for the Island’s least tern colony on Aug. 4-5. A visit by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers on Aug. 5 indicated all birds had left the area to seek shelter elsewhere.
“The Bradenton Beach colony flourished for 88 days and produced 16 chicks,” according to an Aug. 9 press release from Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella. “Nine of those chicks fledged, which means they could fly but their parents still provided food. In contrast, the 2021 least tern colony produced only two fledged birds.”
The colony produced 29 nests, 18 of which were either abandoned or predated by birds or animals. There were 16 chicks produced in the remaining 11 nests. Four of the birds were banded and numbered.
Least terns are a threatened species in Florida.
Mazzarella wrote that the success of the 2024 colony can be attributed to partnerships with the City of Bradenton Beach and Manatee County officials and law enforcement, the Florida Audubon Society, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, residents of the Anna Maria Island Club and volunteers from the Manatee County Audubon Society and Turtle Watch.
“Our thanks to Shorebird Coordinator Kathy Doddridge who managed these partnerships, took actions to mitigate predation and educated beachgoers on a daily basis. We look forward to applying the knowledge gained to next year’s least tern colony,” she wrote.
