Snowy Plover Update - July 29, 2019

August 03, 2019 Posted by: Matt Lau

Overview

Hello Ploverites! In this past week, we've had one chick fledge from Limantour Beach and a nest hatch on North Beach. We still have somewhere between six and eight chicks on beaches in Point Reyes, potentially raising our fledge count to thirteen. Even more exciting: we still have three active nests that will likely hatch nine more chicks in the next few weeks, potentially raising our fledge count even higher! For comparison, we had fourteen fledglings in 2018 and far many more nests during that season. The latest projected hatch for a nest this year is August 13, which is one of our latest nests on record. This means we will have a brood persisting into September which is unusual. We are crossing our fingers that these remaining broods will survive and fledge!

Here are updates organized by beach sites:

Kehoe (K)

There are still two active nests on this site, both near where the previous two most recently hatched nests were located. These two newer nests are projected to hatch the second week of August. We lost one brood from a nest that hatched early last week, but another brood of three chicks is still going strong and is about a week from fledging. Small winter flocks are forming along this entire stretch of beach.

Abbotts Lagoon Restoration Area (RA)

No plovers have been observed in this large native dune habitat in months, likely due to heavy nest loss earlier in the season and in past seasons.

Abbotts Lagoon to North Beach parking lot (NP)

The probable last nest on this site hatched this week, producing two chicks; the third egg did not hatch and is likely not viable. There are a few winter flocks scattered along the southern portion of this site, closer to North Beach parking lot.

North Beach (NB)

We have not observed any nesting activity or adult birds on this site in the past week, but we will continue to survey for winter flocks.

Limantour (L)

There is one active nest on Limantour Spit that is projected to hatch mid-August, which means we will have a brood persisting into September on this site; this is a very late season nest. A large winter flock has begun forming on this site, with most plovers residing on the spit.

South Beach (SB)

No breeding activity or adult birds have been observed on this site in the past few weeks.

If you have any questions, please feel free to let Matt Lau, the park's Snowy Plover Ecologist, know via email. Thank you so much, again, for all your help!

Current Stats

  • 34 nests so far this season
    • 3 active nests
    • 10 hatched
    • 21 failed nests
  • 6–8 chicks on the beach
  • 7–9 chicks fledged
Three black-speckled, tan colored eggs rest among shells, algae, coarse sand, and driftwood.

The probable last North Beach nest of the season, which hatched this week. This nest was hidden in a dense patch of woody debris, and the microsite had many crustacean shells and dried Velella vellella.


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 3, 2019

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