Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/336863
While many of those birds did relocate, Worms told the News Leader, the Black Skimmers that were nesting in the posted zone simply have left. APPARENT SURVIVORS FOR NOW Fortunately, the Snowy Plover that Catherine Luckner mentioned during the SKA meeting fledged on June 13 and "is going wherever he wants to go," Worms reported. Additionally, an undetermined number of Least Tern hatch- lings were still making themselves at home on the beach as of June 23. In his June 20 email to his Sarasota Audubon colleagues, Worms said he had spotted another Snowy Plover hatchling on a mud bar southwest of Access 4 that morning, near the "senior" chick, along with a third chick "preening nearby." He continued, "A few min- utes later, a lady approached and showed me a group of Least Terns with 3 chicks and 2 snowy plovers with 1 chick — all in an open area straight out about 40 yards from the Terrace condo." As of June 23, Worms told the News Leader, two more Snowy Plovers remained on nests in the posted area near Accesses 4 and 5. Luckner confirmed in the news release that those hens were still present after the second incident of vandalism. Yet another nesting hen has been under obser- vation on a piece of beach property owned by the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast in a different part of the beach, Worms said. This is her second attempt to produce chicks, he noted. OTHER CHALLENGES Sarasota Audubon volunteers also remain on alert for people illegally walking their dogs on the beach, Worms pointed out in his June 20 email. "Be friendly [and] try to educate [the owners], but if a dog is off leash and the dog walker does not immediately leash the dog (or cat) and remove it from the beach," he added, volunteers should call the non-emer- gency number for the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, 316-1201, and give the dis- patcher "explicit information, including the direction the dog/walker is moving and where it will most [likely] be caught by an officer." More challenges will come with the July Fourth holiday, Worms said, a point made during the SKA meeting. Bob Luckner needs help for the holiday, he said during the SKA meeting. The greater the number of people watching out for the nest- ing birds and chicks, the better the chance of keeping them all from harm. Anyone interested in assisting may send an email to sksnpl@gmail.com. Wood Storks recently dropped by the watering hole on Siesta Public Beach. Contributed photo by Catherine Luckner Sarasota News Leader June 27, 2014 Page 13