Food and fireworks are fun for everyone — except Navarre's nesting shorebirds

The black skimmers in Navarre are one of the species of birds that have long made the Navarre Beach Causeway one of their favored places for the summer nesting season.

Area experts are advising though, as the birds' nesting season coincides with tourism traffic, people still need to be made aware not to disturb them.

Some steps have already been taken place to prevent harmful encounters between beachgoers and birds. Along the section of the causeway near the nesting areas, the speed limit drops to 20 miles per hour, and there is a roped off section with signage about the birds and a small fence-like structure to stop hatchlings from wandering into the street.

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"We have a lot of photographers, and photographers really like to get as close as they can. And that actually causes more disturbance than anything else," said Caroline Stahala with the statewide environmental organization Audubon Florida.

She said she has seen locals become increasing aware of the birds, adding that the organization leans on locals to inform others when people encroach on the birds' area.

Stahala pointed out she has often noticed that the photographers leaning over the ropes to get photos are from out of town.

"Please, learn to observe them. Learn to respect them. And for goodness' sakes, slow down," said Navarre local Larry Bennett, who volunteers to observe the birds and educate passersby. "The idea is not to make people mad because they have to slow down, the idea is to keep these birds alive."

Bennett has been birdwatching for over 60 years. He has been volunteering on this effort since 2015 and does it for a simple reason:

"Because I love birds," Bennett said.

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Stahala pointed out the birds are considered threatened, which means they are vulnerable to population endangerment. She said one issue that has arisen lately involves people trying to feed the birds starchy foods.

"They were throwing bread, pretzels, popcorn, you know, things that you would think of birds eating," Stahala said. "And so, that's actually really dangerous for these birds. So, we immediately had to figure out how to stop them."

Stahala said these foods attract birds like gulls, a predator to the skimmer chicks.

"I think people are pretty respectful of wildlife over here. Just like the turtle nests when we roped them off. They're very respectful," said Julie White, tourist development director in Santa Rosa County.

White added that for summer 2022, tourism numbers have leveled off after a huge 2021 season. Her office works to provide informational material regarding the habitats in the county.

White said another factor showing the area's commitment to the birds is the fact that the Fourth of July firework celebration on Navarre Beach is at the pier, away from the skimmers' nesting area. Stahala agreed this is a positive move.

"What is more dangerous to these guys is the fireworks that get set off periodically (by individuals) and just scare them," Stahala said.

She also mentioned there was a unique advantage to having the nesting area in the sandy area off the causeway, rather than on Navarre Beach itself.

"There's actually higher predation pressures in some of these remote areas. ... It's actually really hard for predators to find them here because of the cars," Stahala said. "Coyotes are most likely not going to cross this bridge."

All said, Stahala estimated there are about 100 adult birds that come to this nesting site. She said the skimmers that nest in Navarre typically live the rest of the year in places further south toward Texas and South Florida.

"Once seabirds find a place that works for them, where they are successful reproductive-wise, they tend to be loyal to that site," Stahala said.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Navarre Beach Causeway: Black skimmer nesting season now underway