Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/336863
Catherine Luckner reported, 75 Black Skimmer nests were counted on the beach the previous week, and 42 Least Tern nests had been sighted, with three hatchlings so far. Just 15 days later, the news turned tragic, as Audubon volunteer Allan Worms notified his colleagues that someone apparently had driven a motorcycle through the area near Accesses 4 and 5, which was marked off by tape and posted with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) signs to alert the public about the nests. Sarasota Audubon representatives believe now that an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) was the culprit. A second incident occurred on the night of June 23, Bob Luckner reported the following morning. Sgt. Scott Osborne of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office told The Sarasota News Leader that it appeared a golf cart had been used this time, though he was inclined to believe a motorcycle was the culprit last week. When he spoke with the News Leader on June 24, he was getting ready to head to the scene to meet Lt. Rob Gerkin, an FWC officer, to survey the damage. A news release issued by Sarasota Audubon later that day said law enforcement officers were checking closed circuit video from nearby condominium complexes with the hope of identifying the vandals. Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to call the Sarasota County Sheriff's office at 316-1201 or the FWC hotline at 888- 404-FWCC (3922). Both the Snowy Plovers and Least Terns are protected by state and federal law because the species are endangered, Bob Luckner pointed out in the news release. Audubon Siesta Key's first Snowy Plover chick of this season fledged on June 13, ready to fly away on its own. Contributed photo by Catherine Luckner A Least Tern adult shepherds two chicks on the beach. Photo courtesy Sarasota Audubon Least Terns, Snowy Plovers and Black Skimmers scrape out a small indentation and lay their eggs directly on the sand, which makes the eggs vulnerable to passersby. Photo courtesy Sarasota Audubon Sarasota News Leader June 27, 2014 Page 10