Overview
Hello Ploverites!
There haven't been many notable changes since last week's update—one new snowy plover nest was found on North Beach (the 12th for this year in this area) and another in the Abbotts Lagoon restoration area (the second for this site). Most of the nests that hatched in the past couple weeks still have broods that are active with at least one chick. As a reminder, once the nest hatches, the chicks are quickly mobile and are running and feeding on their own within a couple hours of hatching! The adult male of the nest is the sole caretaker of the hatchlings for approximately 28 days until the chicks fledge; the adult female departs and seeks another mate to establish a new nest.
Now that many of the nests have hatched in recent weeks, biologists from the National Park Service and Point Blue Conservation Science are focusing on surveys for new nests, while continuing to monitor the survival of broods at all sites. Our first set of confirmed fledges will likely happen this coming week! Stay tuned!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Matt Lau via email.
CURRENT STATS:
- 21 total nests this season
- 7 active nest
- 11 hatched
- 3 failed nests
- 20–25 chicks on the beach
- 0 chicks confirmed fledged
A new snowy plover nest found in the Abbotts Lagoon restoration area, hidden among coarse sand and woody debris. Abbotts Lagoon.
Photo credit: NPS/Matt Lau
A nest exclosure protecting snowy plover eggs, surrounded by both adult plover tracks and common raven (Corvus corax) tracks.
Photo credit: NPS/Matt Lau
Three near-fledged snowy plover chicks from an Abbotts Lagoon Restoration Area nest.
Photo credit: © Carleton Eyster, Point Blue Conservation Science
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