Snowy Plover Update - August 23, 2023

August 24, 2023 Posted by: Matt Lau

Overview

Hello Ploverites!

This will be the second to last update of the season—we're on the home stretch! Our last two snowy plover nests on the Great Beach have hatched and both broods have been spotted in the past week: one halfway between Abbotts Lagoon and North Beach, and the other near the Lagoon mouth. There are at least two additional broods still running around as well: one near the mouth of Abbotts Lagoon and one on Limantour Spit. That makes four remaining broods of about six to ten chicks.

The Royals Update

We sadly found the Royals' nest abandoned, the last known nest of the season. Both eggs were overdue to hatch by about a week and we observed the Queen well away from her nest during the day, when she should be incubating. And the Queen's nest is never late! It usually hatches within a day or two of the projected hatch date, sometimes even a day or two early. But there's still a brood, from a non-royal pair, to monitor on Limantour Spit and will hopefully fledge in the next few weeks!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Matt Lau via email.

CURRENT STATS:

  • 50 total nests this season
    • 0 active nest
    • 29 hatched
    • 21 failed nests
  • 6–10 chicks on PRNS beaches
  • 14 chicks fledged!

A photo of two small grayish-brown shorebirds standing on a piece of driftwood on a sandy beach.An adult female (va:gg) that bred at Ten Mile Beach in Mendocino County this season, with a single fledgling from her nest. California State Park biologists reported this adult Point Reyes NS plover breeding at Ten Mile Beach and successfully hatched and fledged a chick with her mate!
Photo credit: © Alison Cebula / California State Parks, August 15, 2023.

A photo of a small black-speckled, beige-colored shorebird chick lying among small pieces of driftwood.Another game of find the snowy plover chick! A single chick hides among woody beach debris from a biologist. August 2023.
Photo credit: NPS/Matt Lau

A photo of a small black-speckled, beige-colored shorebird chick standing in front of a cylindrical wire exclosure with shorebirds on a beach in the background.Trap camera photo of the last nest on North Beach, with a snowy plover chick standing outside the mini-exclosure, waiting for its siblings to hatch. Bonus points to whoever can name the shorebird species roosting behind the exclosure! North Beach, August 15, 2023.
Photo credit: NPS/Matt Lau


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

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Last updated: August 24, 2023

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