Look closely.
Anna Maria Island beaches are teeming with birds, which are monitored daily by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring volunteers.
Others also are interested in the monitoring and data.
In 2021, 64 least tern nests in Anna Maria produced 30 chicks but only two survived.
Beth Forys, a professor of environmental science and biology at Eckerd College, holds a master banding permit and, on July 30, 2021, she banded the surviving chicks with 3A and 3B metal bands.
If people see banded birds, they’re asked to report them to the Florida Banded Bird Alliance at flshorebirdalliance.org/resources/banded-birds, where they can assist in tracking their movements and survival.
For those interested in advice on banding and monitoring birds, the Florida Banded Bird Resightings group on Facebook is helpful in advising on the process, although it’s not a reporting site.
An American oystercatcher photographed by this writer April 24 in the 700 block of North Shore Drive in Anna Maria provided an opportunity to participate in the process.
The alliance provides links for American oystercatchers, black skimmers, brown pelicans, least terns, piping plovers, red knots, snowy plovers and Wilson’s plovers.
There are different methods for reporting, including email and forms.
The oystercatcher form leads observers through the process and provides necessary links for data, such as latitude and longitude coordinates, and banding configuration.
The oystercatcher observed April 24 had a yellow band with a triangular configuration, the letter C on top and E7 on the bottom, left to right.
Upon submission of the form, the alliance confirmed CE7 originated from Nantucket, Massachusetts, July 26, 2019, as a captured bird and has migrated between Massachusetts and Florida several times since then.
Scientists use reports of banded birds to analyze migratory patterns and help with the conservation of birds.
Banded birds not listed on the alliance website should be reported to the Bird Banding Laboratory online at pwrc.usgs.gov.
As of May 8, AMITW had identified six nests and five false crawls on the island.
About AMITW
AMITW is a nonprofit focused on collecting data on threatened or endangered sea turtles. The organization also collects data on seabirds and shorebirds.
The nesting data is required to meet beach renourishment contracts and AMITW is compensated by the county for its service.
For more information, go online to islandturtlewatch.com or call executive director Suzi Fox at 941-232-1405.