Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/147897
Sarasota News Leader August 2, 2013 Page 85 Siesta Seen Additionally, Sarasota County Natural Resources Department staff has been working hard with owners of Beach Road property near a conservation easement to clear up another matter I reported on recently — the illegal widening of a path to the beach near Access 10. Further, the other two chicks I had reported on — which are about five weeks old — "are … almost ready to fledge!" Luckner wrote. That means they will be able to fly on their own, the point at which volunteers can breathe a sigh of relief, because the baby birds will have much better odds of survival. She wrote, "We had a [recent] meeting with a large contingent of these [state and county] folks and have new impetus for reporting ALL violations directly to the State by phone and email to well document the need for enhanced monitoring and intervention well ahead [of] and during a nesting period." "They enjoy active feeding and the protection of the Conservation Foundation property," Luckner noted, referring to the property owned by the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast. "We have volunteers dawn to dusk!" As for that destruction at Accesses 3 and 4: Luckner pointed out that volunteers still are waiting on FWC officials to send a formal letter to the man witnesses identified as the one who dragged lawn chairs through the buffered nesting areas. Luckner added, "We are now directed from FWC to report daily any and all violations of these buffered areas to [the] state FWC reporting line. This will begin to build a base of support for intervention and management of the Siesta Key areas for nesting imperiled Luckner added that they have not been able species." to learn why FWC has failed to take formal Regarding the status of nesting season: As of action, "as we have virtually everything docJuly 30, Luckner continued, volunteers in the umented [to support] a violation of the buffer, previous 10 days had found four Least Tern which is illegal (with or without loss of live chicks alive and being fed by adult Least Terns chicks). [The man] evaded the FWC Officer near the vegetated dune areas of Accesses 3 who went twice to see him. He finally was and 4. After wanton destruction of the nesting reached by phone by the FWC Officer and nevsites in that area in late July, Audubon volun- er would admit to what he'd done; however, teers had mourned the loss of a number of he said he knew the buffers were important." Least Tern chicks as well as a Snowy Plover The Siesta beach-nesting bird team members nest with eggs close to hatching. "are requesting, at minimum, a formal letter Additionally, Luckner noted, two Snowy Plo- documenting the event, the evidence collected ver chicks "are alive and thriving" — at that and the intervention effort of the FWC officer point, about 14 days old. to reach this individual," she continued.