Be a Good Egg , Elaine educating beachgoer - West Meadow Beach
photo:Patrice Domeischel
During the summer, our chapter helps educate our local beachgoers about the birds we share the shore with. We answer questions about our threatened and endangered shorebirds and ask beachgoers to Be a Good Egg.
Sunken Meadow State Park staff with Patrice and Joy
Piping Plover Close-up
photo:Joy Cirigliano
Joy gets pledge
photo:Patrice Domeischel
The “Be a Good Egg” pledge is an outreach initiative implemented by Audubon New York staff, chapter leaders, volunteers, and other conservation partners. The goal is to reduce human disturbance threats to coastal birds by asking people to “share the shore” with our local nesting shorebirds while visiting the beach.
Many Beach-nesting birds like the Piping Plover, Least Tern and Oystercatcher, lay well-camouflaged eggs directly on the ground, usually on sand or shells. The beach is their only home, and they are very loyal to their nesting site, often returning to the same spot every year. In the spring and fall, many other shorebirds, including the Red Knot, stop on our Long Island Beaches to refuel and rest as they migrate through New York during their long trek to their breeding and wintering grounds.
Many of our shorebird and seabird populations are federally and/or state listed as endangered, threatened or of conservation concern. They are threatened by coastal development and engineering, climate change, predators, and human disturbance. Because of this, it’s important for us to do our part while visiting the beach to respect these birds and their needs while at the beach. When a person or dog walks through a nesting area, no matter how well-meaning the person or well-behaved the dog, it frightens the birds and they fly or run away in fear. This can cause the chicks to overheat in the sun or become a meal for a gull or other predator. When the disturbances are too frequent, it can cause nests to be abandoned. In addition, off-leash dogs and cats can also kill or injure birds, especially flightless chicks. Trash on the beach can entangle birds, be mistaken for food and eaten, and can attract predators. We all can help give birds the space they need to safely rest, nest, feed, and raise their young by:
1. Respecting the string fences and fenced-off areas where birds are nesting;
2. Properly disposing of garbage or carrying out our trash; and,
3. Keep our canine friends off the beaches during nesting season.
With everyone's help, we can protect Long Island's beach-nesting and migratory coastal birds.
Volunteers help man table at Sunken Meadow
photo:Patrice Domeischel
Least Tern Colony Sunken Meadow State Park
photo:Joy Cirigliano
W Meadow: Joy and Elaine with pledge family
photo:Patrice Domeischel