During the holiday week conservationists are asking beach-goers to be mindful of the wildlife they may be disrupting while celebrating independence day outdoors.
Scientists at Texas A&M Corpus Christi want to remind the public that this time of year is prime shorebird nesting season. Some popular areas like Bob Hall Pier, J.P. Luby, and University Beach are heavily populated with different bird species laying nests in the sand.
Those experts say the growing bird population is essential for the environment and volunteers have taken extra precautions near the university to remind people to watch where they step.
David Newstead from the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program told us, "We have some signage like we have here. we have some symbolic fencing and we ask people to respect that. It's there for a reason because there are birds nesting behind it. Al will be best if you keep outside of that fencing."
Nwstead added that Corpus Christi has recently been named one of the "birdiest" cities in America, and that bird watching draws a lot of tourism to the South Texas Coast.
