Snowy Plover Update - August 19, 2022

August 19, 2022 Posted by: Matt Lau

Overview

Hello Ploverites!

We are breaking records this season! So far, we have confirmed 27 western snowy plover fledglings from North Beach and Limantour Spit, surpassing our previous record of 25 fledglings back in 1997. On top of that, we still have four to five plover chicks from three different broods to fledge in the next couple of weeks, potentially increasing our record number. Additionally, we observed incredibly high nest success on North Beach: 84% of known nests successfully hatched at least one chick, compared to the park-wide average of 61% since 1996. This high success rate may be due to our proactive approach in quickly finding nests and installing exclosures to protect them before predators were able to find them. Lastly, our preliminary estimates put the 2022 snowy plover breeding population around 40 individuals, up from 33 plovers in 2021. All amazing news!

Here are updates organized by beach sites:

Kehoe (K):

There is no breeding activity remaining on this site. A winter flock can be found near the lagoon mouth with sporadic small flocks along this beach.

Abbotts Lagoon Restoration Area (RA):

No breeding activity remains at this site. One brood is actively using the backdunes to hide chicks.

Abbotts Lagoon to North Beach parking lot (NP):

Two broods are still active on the southern portion of this site. Winter flocks can be found scattered along this beach.

North Beach (NB):

No breeding activity has been detected on this site this year.

South Beach (SB):

No breeding activity has been observed at this site this year.

Limantour (L):

No breeding activity remains on this site. A couple winter flocks can be found here—this site typically has the park's largest winter flock in December–January.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Matt Lau, the park's Snowy Plover Ecologist, via email.

CURRENT STATS:

  • 34 total nests this season
    • 0 active nests
    • 22 hatched
    • 12 failed nests
  • 4–5 chicks on the beach!
  • 27 chicks confirmed fledged

A photo of a small light brown shorebird with a white breast flying low over dune habitat.A recently fledged snowy plover taking flight!

A photo of four small light brown shorebirds standing on a sand among coastal dunes, some sparse vegetation, and small pieces of driftwood..A winter flock with three fledglings, including two (middle) hatched and banded at Point Reyes National Seashore. North Beach, August 2022.

A photo of two shorebirds with light brown backs and white breasts standing on a sandy beach: the one on the left is a bit larger with brown feathers around its neck and a longer bill.A great look and comparison of a western snowy plover (right) next to a sanderling (left), as both look around for any incoming aerial predators.


The National Park Service shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. These data and related graphics (if available) are not legal documents and are not intended to be used as such. The information contained in these data is dynamic and may change over time. The National Park Service gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data. For more information: https://www.nps.gov/disclaimer.htm

Point-Reyes, Point-Reyes-National-Seashore, bird, birds, plover, plovers, snowy-plover, snowy-plovers, western-snowy-plover, western-snowy-plovers, Charadrius-nivosus, Charadrius-nivosus-nivosus



Last updated: August 19, 2022

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