Hundreds of tiny bird eggs 'cook' after beachgoers disturb protected species

[jpak]

https://www.wmur.com/article/bird-watchers-flocking-to-durham-home-for-rare-sight/22751527

Beachgoers visiting a remote Alabama island disturbed the breeding ground of a federally protected bird species, re-arranged eggs in a decorative pattern and left hundreds of unhatched birds to "cook" in the sun, according to the Birmingham Audubon Society.

Members of the group found on July 10 that humans had constructed a makeshift volleyball court amid a breeding ground for least terns – a species of small birds – on Sand Island, Alabama, according to a Tuesday release from the organization.

Members of the Audubon Society counted at least 100 nests that were affected and abandoned.

"Each nest held one to three dead eggs that had cooked on the sand when the human disturbance forced the parents, whose bodies shield their unhatched young from the hot sun, to flee," the release says, citing Katie Barnes, a senior biologist for Birmingham Audubon.

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stupid people

[Bayard]

1. I saw this on Care 2

How can people be so completely oblivious? Although, I gotta say--they should have posted the habitat signs, and the penalties-- before this happened. Tragedy.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. We are such a damaged species...we kayak on a nearby lake and see garbage left

by fishermen. We've read about people damaging natural structures and monuments. We watch people flick cig butts out the window to fall into the street. We go to the outer banks a lot and hear often of nests of endangered birds and turtles being disturbed.

It is crushingly depressing to come to terms with how incredibly shallow so many are.

We are going to end up getting exactly what we deserve by the earth, by nature.

[defacto7]

4. So true.

[niyad]

3. can we leave these assholes to cook on a hot beach?