HOLMES BEACH – The weekly Monday morning Turtle Tracks and Shorebird Facts presentations have begun.
The free lively and informative presentations about sea turtles and shorebirds by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers are at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, on Mondays from 10-11 a.m. through August. There is no presentation on May 26 (Memorial Day).
Karen Anderson presented an overview and precautions about nesting sea turtles and hatchlings on May 5, followed by a presentation by Kathy Doddridge about nesting and migrating shorebirds.
Slides during the presentation included such facts as Anna Maria Island is home to between 400-500 sea turtle nests each year, the characteristics of sea turtles with their paddle-like flippers and non-retractable heads, the identification of sea turtle tracks, the adult weight of loggerhead sea turtles between 200-300 pounds and the fact that mother sea turtles return to the area where they are hatched to lay their eggs.
Anderson spoke about the threats to sea turtles on land that include holes in the sand and beach furniture left on the beach, habitat loss, predators and artificial lighting that draws nesting mothers and hatchlings away from their natural course to the water.
Doddridge discussed protected shorebirds that nest on Anna Maria Island, which includes black skimmers, snowy plovers and least terns. The shorebird nesting season on the Island runs from February through September.
She cautioned beachgoers to be mindful of nests, which are shallow holes in the sand, called scrapes, and where the eggs and nests could be camouflaged by sand. She said nesting birds are extremely sensitive to disturbance and if disturbed, will fly off their nests, leaving eggs and chicks vulnerable to predators.
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