We’re Not Photographers – We’re Counting Birds

On the Shoofly - October 2024

If you see people on the beach in Bay St. Louis toting tripods, they aren’t taking photos – they’re likely to be volunteers helping to chart the success of bird populations.
 
- By Dena Temple

Black Skimmer near Washington Street Pier uses his lower mandible to snare fish on the fly.

On a steamy September morning, Dena pulled her SUV into a makeshift parking space on a Bay St. Louis side street near the Waveland border. Next to her was a green-gray Subaru SUV with a woman inside. Neither said a word as the hatch on the Subaru opened. Dena put her spotting scope inside and climbed into the passenger seat.
 
“Man, we are going to sweat today!” she said.

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Rhonda replied, “Good morning to you, too.” The two laughed as Rhonda piloted the Subaru to the Washington Street Pier.
 
Rhonda Plitt and Dena Temple are both Audubon volunteers, and today they will be counting shorebirds in Bay St. Louis for the Audubon Coastal Bird Survey (ACBS). “Citizen science” programs like the ACBS provide valuable data to scientists that can be used to support conservation measures to protect coastal shorebirds and other waterbirds that breed, winter, and migrate along the Gulf Coast, particularly those experiencing population declines.

The program was originally established in 2010 in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster and is managed by Audubon Delta, the regional office of the National Audubon Society. Site surveys are held in “pulses” in the fall, winter, and spring and generally take place every two weeks. Surveys during migration and in winter help scientists understand how waterbirds use coastal habitats here and across the northern Gulf of Mexico. The survey protocol is consistent with international shorebird studies, so local data can be useful in tracking worldwide trends as well.

Common Goldeneye. Photo taken on ACBS survey at Washington St. Pier earlier this year. Photo by Ivory Reinert courtesy of McCauley Library, Cornell Lab. of Ornithology.

 
Citizen science in the bird community is nothing new. Programs such as the Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) have been held for over a century. The 1900 CBC had 25 participants; in 2022, the most recent year for which information is available, nearly 77,000 people in the U.S. and Canada participated in 2,621 regional counts! The Audubon Coastal Bird Survey program is young by comparison. Through their contributions, citizen scientists can be part of a research community and assist in international conservation efforts. In addition,  involving the general public in these programs increases awareness of birds, how precarious their populations can be, and how critical it is to protect their coastal habitat.
 
The survey protocol is always the same. The team walks a one-mile route on the beach west from the Washington Street Pier. There is no time limit for the survey; “birdy” days require more time than days when few birds are around. Every bird is tallied: shorebirds, herons, gulls and terns, and even songbirds heard in nearby trees. Unusual birds are studied, and their identification is verified using old-fashioned photography and online bird identification apps like The Sibley Guide to Birds. Disturbances such as high wind, people or pets on the beach, and beach cleaning apparatus are noted in the survey report.

ACBS survey, Piping Plover on beach in Bay St. Louis, Aug. 30, 2023.​ Photo by Rhonda Plitt courtesy of McCauley Library, Cornell Lab. of Ornithology

 
Noteworthy birds seen recently in the Washington St. Pier survey include Reddish Egret, Piping Plover, migrating Cliff Swallows, Seaside Sparrow, and American Oystercatcher.
 
Gulls can be overwhelming to count, said Rhonda Plitt, coordinator for the Washington Street Pier survey. “We used to have a clicker to keep a tally of Laughing Gulls, because numbers can reach into the thousands. But one of our volunteers dropped it into the surf!” She continued, “Now we designate one person to just count Laughing Gulls. You can guess who does that – the person who dropped the clicker!” she laughed.
 
There is a reason it’s critical to have at least two surveyors. “We leave one person’s car at the end of the survey route,” said Rhonda, “So we don’t have to walk a mile back to the start.”

Left photo: Snowy Egrets (front) and an immature Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron at Washington St. Pier. Right: Juvenile Black Skimmer in Bay St. Louis, Aug. 30, 2023.​ Photos by Rhonda Plitt courtesy of McCauley Library, Cornell Lab. of Ornithology

​Rhonda Plitt, the survey's coordinator, hails from Picayune. A retired IRS auditor, Rhonda has been volunteering with ACBS since January 2015 and has been the coordinator of the Washington Street Pier survey since 2017. She explains, “When I retired, I was looking for a new hobby. I was interested in birds, and a friend suggested I look into the ACBS program. As a new birder, participating in ACBS was a great way to learn about birds from experienced birders. Once I started, I was hooked.”
 
Rhonda loves to go birding, and performing the surveys “gives me an excuse,” she says. “I enjoy getting to know the other volunteers. I also appreciate the opportunity to participate in the collection of data for conservation purposes.”

Two American Avocets were discovered during an ACBS survey in August, 2019. (R. Plitt photo)

​Rhonda will never forget Aug 21, 2019, the day she encountered two American Avocets on the survey. “I was alone that day, but fortunately I had my camera,” she said. She also recalls a “battle on the beach” between two Bald Eagles that were fighting over a fish. While Bald Eagles aren’t rare on the surveys, “Seeing them on the sand is something else,” she said.
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Two immature Bald Eagles, one fish: the competitors size up each other on the Bay St. Louis beach. (R. Plitt photo)

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The Bald Eagle skirmish begins. (R. Plitt photo)

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To the victor go the spoils: The winner flies away with the tasty catfish. (R. Plitt photo)

 
Dena Temple is a regular and has been participating in the ACBS surveys for about three years. Dena, a Waveland resident who works at The University of Southern Mississippi, was an Audubon chapter president in New Jersey before moving to Mississippi and enjoys sharpening her skills. “I led bird walks back in New Jersey, but I still find shorebird ID particularly challenging,” she said. “I really love getting out early and enjoying the “quiet” Bay St. Louis before the town wakes up. I also appreciate contributing to bird conservation in this way. Rhonda is a great teacher. I always enjoy our time together.”
 
Joe Dirnberger also joins the group frequently. A retired teacher from California who now lives in Long Beach, Joe enjoys learning more about shorebirds and the Gulf Coast environment.

Laughing gulls (rear) and Black Skimmers (front) rest on the beach in Bay St. Louis. (D. Temple photo)

 
Locals are often curious when they spot the team on the beach carrying tripods. “I can’t tell you how many times people have asked us what we’re taking pictures of,” said Dena. “We’re always happy to explain, and I think it gives residents a source of pride to know they live in this great place with all these cool birds on ‘their’ beach.”

The program is always looking for volunteers There are several ACBS surveys in the area, including a survey that begins at the Ladner Pier in Waveland. Bird knowledge is helpful, but beginners with binoculars are welcome. You will learn a lot and make friends to boot!
 
To see a list of local Audubon volunteer opportunities, create an account on Audubon’s MyImpact page, then search for upcoming opportunities. 
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