Hello Ploverites! This is the last month of the breeding season, but the first official update on breeding western snowy plovers in Point Reyes. The snowy plover docent program was reinstated last weekend, after a long hiatus since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Here are the stats for the 2021 breeding season: biologists have found 32 total nests, of which 12 have hatched (37.5%), and 16 have failed (50%), and four nests are still active. Thirty-two chicks hatched from 12 nests, of which ten have been confirmed fledged so far and approximately six are alive and being raised by tending males.
Compared to the 2020 season: biologists found 39 total nests, of which 17 successfully hatched (44%) and 22 nests failed (56%). Biologists observed 11 of 48 chicks fledge (22.9%).
Here are updates organized by beach sites:
Kehoe (K):
There have been ten nests found on Kehoe Beach this season, one remains active and is due to hatch in mid-August. We have observed 3 of these nests successfully hatch and there are currently 2 young hatchlings running around that hatched just this week!
Abbotts Lagoon Restoration Area (RA):
We have observed three nests in the restoration area, one of which is still active and is due to hatch in mid-August. We’ve had one nest hatch and another fail due to raven depredation. There has been more breeding activity at this site than we have seen in recent years.
Abbotts Lagoon to North Beach parking lot (NP):
This remains the most active breeding site, similar to past seasons. We have observed 13 nests along this stretch of beach, of which one remains active and will hatch in mid-August. Most of these nests have been found within a mile and a half of North Beach parking lot. At least five to eight chicks from three broods are running around on this site.
North Beach (NB):
We have found three nests at this site between North Beach and South Beach parking lots. These nests were active during the first half of the season; we have not detected any breeding activity here after early June.
Limantour (L):
We detected a single female and two male adults on this site and three nests, one of which is still active and due to hatch in early August. Two of these three nests hatched and each produced a single fledgling.
South Beach (SB):
No breeding activity has been observed at this site this year.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Matt Lau, the park's Snowy Plover Ecologist, via email.
CURRENT STATS:
- 32 total nests this season
- 4 active nest
- 12 hatched
- 16 failed nests
- 10 chicks on the beach
- 10 chicks confirmed fledged
A well decorated nest in the Abbotts Lagoon restoration area.
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