As you walk along the crowded beaches this weekend, stop to consider the shorebirds' perspective: You're a shark. Your dog is a shark. Your kite is planning to swoop down and eat them.

They're not wrong to be afraid: Shorebirds that nest along beaches have lost about 70 percent of their population in the past 50 years.

Sea birds that set up colonies offshore aren't faring much better. There are two main reasons. One is habitat loss from sea level rise and coastal development. The other is people, often unintentionally, who scare the birds and cause them to leave their eggs or chicks unguarded.

The eggs can burn in minutes in the summer sun or become a quick snack for birds like gulls and other predators.

"Its really important for people who are going to the beaches to be aware they are sharing the beach with coastal birds that may be nesting or raising their young," said Cami Duquet, shorebirds steward coordinator for the state Department of Natural Resources.

An American oystercatcher egg in a nest on the beach. Their camouflage helps protect them from predators but makes them more difficult for beachgoers to avoid. SCDNR/Provided

"Every year, its a worrisome weekend because we know there are a lot of people out on the water and the beaches."

AAA Carolinas predicts Memorial Day weekend travel is set to rebound to nearly pre-pandemic levels, with beaches as the most popular destination. One of the company's surveys released this month found more than 80 percent of South Carolinians are comfortable traveling now, up from 49 percent a year ago.

Birds that nest on the beach like Wilsons plovers, American oystercatchers, black skimmers and least terns use the sand as camouflage against predators. But that can backfire when unsuspecting people wander too close for comfort before noticing them.

Duquet said there are more than 40 bird species that use South Carolina's coast for either nesting or migration.

The state DNR and Audubon South Carolina consider this weekend an all-hands-on-deck event. Dozens of volunteer stewards will be stationed near bird nesting sites reminding visitors to keep a safe distance from the roped off areas.

A pelican with its chick at Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary in 2014. SCDNR/Provided

"We're not there to be law enforcement. We're not there to write tickets," said Allyssa Zebrowski, Audubon's coastal stewardship coordinator. "One of the biggest things I like to remind people is conservation doesn't happen from the top level down. It happens small-scale. ... If we can each just do one small thing, which is giving them space while we're on the beach, it adds up to a huge impact for our birds."

A 2018 study of one species of shorebirds in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia found that in areas with higher levels of human activity, thebirds weighed less and had lower survival rates.

Sometimes the science looks bleak, but Zebrowski points to the thriving brown pelicans that nest offshore as a historical success story. The birds were on the brink of extinction in 1970.

"It gives me hope and the rest of my partners hope that we can help these species in the way we helped the brown pelican all those years ago," she said.

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Headed to a SC beach this weekend? Don't disturb the nesting birds. - Charleston Post Courier