Overview
Hello Ploverites!
The skies were overcast this week, but two new snowy plover nests were found between the Abbotts Lagoon mouth and North Beach parking lot. At this time, we have two active nests on Limantour Spit, one on Kehoe Beach, one in the Abbotts Lagoon Restoration Area, and four on the beach between the Abbotts Lagoon mouth and North Beach parking lot.
It was a big week for fledglings! We added five more fledges to the season scoreboard, with a total of 14 thus far. This is significantly above average! We are certain there are a few more fledges that we have yet to confirm (i.e., we haven’t been able to locate and confirm their color band combinations, but we know they are still around based on the plover dads' behaviors). Now that most of the chicks from the first round of nests have fledged, males are now available for new mates and are scouting for new prospects. We are expecting to find plenty of new nests in the next couple of weeks.
Common ravens are the most prominent predator to snowy plovers—they will go after the eggs, the chicks, and even adult plovers when given the opportunity. This week, two different depredation instances were observed by biologists. A Point Blue biologist was observing two banded juveniles running along the waveslope at North Beach, when suddenly a raven came flying down the beach, chased after one, and scooped it up. On Limantour, biologists witnessed a raven walking around in the fencing near an exclosed nest on the spit. Upon checking the nest, plover feathers were scattered in the nest cup and all around the nest. The female was seen incubating just hours beforehand. It is likely that the female plover, who tends to the nest during the day, was depredated by the raven. It’s a significant loss to the local breeding population when there’s adult mortality. Consequently, biologists have removed exclosures from existing nests on Limantour, and have halted their use there. Trap cameras have additionally been set up to monitor activity at nests.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Matt Lau via email.
Current Stats:
- 33 total nests this season
- 8 active nest
- 16 hatched
- 9 failed nests
- 12–15 chicks on the beach
- 14 chicks confirmed fledged
Newly-fledged snowy plover chick from nest NP06_2024 on North Beach.
Photo credit: NPS/Matt Lau
New one-egg nest found halfway between Abbotts Lagoon and North Beach parking lot, hidden underneath arched stick.
Photo credit: NPS/Matt Lau
NPS Biologist Matt Lau took a flight on a small plane over Point Reyes National Seashore, getting great aerial views of North Beach parking lot and the large swale next to it, where snowy plovers often breed.
Photo credit: NPS/Matt Lau
NPS Biologist Matt Lau took a flight on a small plane over Point Reyes National Seashore. Aerial photo shows the Abbotts Lagoon restoration area, with Abbotts Lagoon in the upper left frame of the photo.
Photo credit: NPS/Matt Lau
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