Snowbirds to Shorebirds, Beach Sunrise painting by Marco Island artist JoAnn Sanborn

Beach Sunrise
16x20, acrylic on Canvas
$500

Now that snowbirds are starting to head home, some beach areas around Marco Island will become roped off, posted, and inaccessible for the hundreds of people who walk the beach each day. Portions of Big Marco Pass, Sand Dollar Island, Caxambas Pass and Keewaydin Island will be marked as off-limits to humans and become sanctuary to nesting and resting shore birds. These areas may move as the birds choose this year's nesting areas.

Four species of shore birds, the least tern, black skimmer, snowy plover and Wilson's plover nest on nearby sandy beaches. These species nest on the open sand and their well-camouflaged eggs are nearly invisible to the untrained human eye, and could be easily stepped by passers-by.

The "fencing" is mostly symbolic, but important for each of us to respect as we learn better ways to live with and sustain our environment. Learn more about Living with Shorebirds from the Florida Fish and Wildlife's Living with Wildlife series.