From Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Member to Coastal Advocate: Rogerio DaSilva

It began with an Audubon membership. Rogerio DaSilva, a Naples-area nature photographer, turned a member of and donor to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Whereas he beloved photographing the wading birds and songbirds of the Sanctuary, he had a dream: to seize in his lens the spectacular nesting behaviors of coastal Black Skimmers and Royal Terns. 

Florida’s seashores and barrier islands are vital nesting habitat for this species, and the morning was alive with their vitality— resting, preening, courting, and launching into the Gulf breeze. 

– Rogerio DaSilva, Photographer

In April, DaSilva received the chance to spend a morning with Director of Management Giving Anny Shepard and Southwest Florida Shorebird Program Supervisor Megan Hatten to see the nesting birds in motion. They spent hours on the water, retaining a respectful distance and making certain their presence didn’t change the birds’ conduct—per moral images tips. DaSilva explains: “What unfolded was excess of a birdwatching tour. It was a window into why this work issues, and why the individuals who fund it make a real distinction on the bottom.” 

For DaSilva, photographing a Royal Tern courtship dance turned a visit spotlight: “Crests absolutely raised, orange payments catching the Florida mild, they circled and postured in a ritual that has performed out on these shores for millennia.” The Black Skimmers additionally didn’t disappoint. “Black Skimmers dominated the shell flats in numbers that took the breath away,” says DaSilva. 

We should flock collectively to guard these susceptible birds and their particular nesting habitat now and into the long run. Audubon has an bold plan to lift $1.5 million for Audubon’s coastal work by 2032. Collectively, we will be sure that Florida stays a spot to see and admire sea and shorebirds for future generations.

This text was printed within the Summer season 2026 Naturalist.