A note from my friend, Michelle, who watches out for the snowy plovers on Siesta Key:

“On Saturday morning, most of the Access 7 nest site buffer was destroyed and local resident Eileen Naaman and her husband Jim bought supplies at Siesta Hardware and reposted the area (I filled in with FWC signage afterwards).  The nest that was due to hatch April 15^th was destroyed two weeks ago, but the pair have been showing signs of renesting and were observed inside the buffer, including numerous prints along the back path.

This morning I saw the pair in the foredune to the immediate north of their prior nest location.  The female was obviously gravid, and the male was close by as several laughing and ring-billed gulls were “stalking” them.  I chased off the gulls, and the SNPL pair took advantage to run to the back area where I discovered they had one egg along the back path.  Then, as I watched, the female laid a second egg – what a treat to watch as her mate looked after her (see photos) and I’m so grateful to have shooed off the gulls which surely were keeping them from their “task at hand”.”

That had to have been the coolest thing, a once in a life-time thing for one in a million to see: a wild bird laying an egg. 

Soapbox: please be careful and respectful around the nesting sites on the beach.   These birds are on the threatened list; let’s all try to keep them from the endangered list.