Fall Prepared Erik I. Johnson/National Audubon Society

Transcription

1 Audubon Coastal Bird Survey Fall 2011 Summary Erik I. Johnson/National Audubon Society Prepared by: Erik I. Johnson, Ph.D. Conservation Biologist Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi Flyway National Audubon Society 6160 Perkins Rd., suite 135 Baton Rouge, LA

2 Society History and Background The Audubon Coastal Bird Survey (ACBS) was initiated in the summer of 2010 to document the abundance and distribution of coastal waterbirds during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in Mississippi and Alabama. Volunteer bird watchers hit the coast en masse to count birds and look for signss of oil exposure. With horrific memories of oil drenched birds still in our minds, ACBS volunteers continue to track populations of our coastal avian community. Gerry Ellis Continuing devastation of beach habitat at Grand Isle State Park, LA seven months after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster Erik I. Johnson/National Audubon Society Adult dark morph Reddish Egret taking flight ACBS data have incredibly powerful conservation value as we continue to strive to protect our avian heritage along the Gulf Coast. Shorebirds and other coastal waterbirds, like the Piping Plover, Snowy Plover, Red Knot, and Reddish Egret, represent some of the most threatened birds in North America. These species are experiencing increasingly intense pressures not only due to oil spills and other kinds of pollution, but also from human encroachment and sea level rise associated with climate change. Fall 2011 Summary ACBS volunteers continue to monitor coastal waterbirds in Mississippi and Alabama, with new volunteers and routes established in Louisiana. Now surveying at more frequent survey interval (every 10 days now instead of monthly), citizen scientists have put forth a remarkable effort to document and report birds found during the fall 2011 survey period. Although a few surveys have yet to be submitted to ebird ( no fewer than 75 Bruce Reid/National Audubon Society Audubon former President Frank Gill with Audubon Coastal Bird Survey volunteers.

3 surveys were conducted at 18 sites throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama between 10 August and 20 October Nearly all of these sites were repeatedly surveyed, providing even more valuable information on changes in bird abundance through the fall season. This effort documented 80 species of waterbirds (146 total species), with over 68,000 waterbirds counted! Audubon Coastal Bird Survey routes in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Active routes are in green, inactive routes are in red (priority need to be covered frequently) and purple (lowerr priority require less frequent coverage). Seee Appendix for state maps with site names. There were some pretty exciting finds this fall, ncluding: 5 Black bellied Whistling Ducks reported by Ned Boyajian and Charley Delmas at Singing River Island, MS. These are still fairly rare and local in southern MS and AL, but should be expected more and more frequently as they continue to expand eastward. An American Golden Plover and a Great Black Naylor from Dauphin Island, AL. This plover is backed Gull reported by Brian and Charlotte tough bird to find on the immediate coast and this gull is very rare on the Gulf Coast, and both require careful study to separate from more common look a likes. Brian Naylor Adult Great Black backed Gull among Laughingg Gulls

4 A Baird s Sandpiper reported by Dave Patton and Mac Myers at Holly Beach, LA. This is a tough bird to find on the immediate coast, but keep an eye out in those mixed flocks of small peeps you never know what might be in there. Lesser Black backed Gulls reported by Devin and Justin Bosler from Holly Beach and Broussard Beach, LA. This species has become almost regular in small numbers along beaches in SW LA and should be possible to find anywhere along the Gulf, but requires careful study to identify. Erik I. Johnson/National Audubon Society A 1 stt winter Lesser Black backed Gull Although it can be exciting and challenging to find somethingg unusual, the purpose of ACBS is to document patterns of abundance for species of conservationn concern thatt regularly use the Gulf Coast. We are especially interested in 22 target speciess (Table 1), ass they either have critically low populations or appear to be decreasing. These estimates would benefit from additional data, such as those provided by ACBS. Among the 80 species of waterbirds found during the fall 2011 ACBS period, Laughing Gull was the most frequently detected species. Eight of the top 14 and 4 of the top 5 most frequently detected species were ACBS target species of conservationn concern. Collectively, the 22 target species represented 46% of alll waterbird detections. The proportion of detections among waterbird species reported during the fall 2011 ACBS period. Sites in Louisiana often had higher densities of target species than in Mississippi and Alabama (Table 1), which is probably at least partially due to the less immediate pressuress of human disturbance along the more remotee beaches of Louisiana.

5 Table 1. List of target waterbirds and shorebirds of conservation concern monitored through ACBS. Included is their annual status (R = resident/year-round; B = breeding; M = migration; W = winter), percentage of ACBS routes where detected by state (9 in LA, 4 in MS, and 5 in AL), average density (birds/mile) for each state and across all 18 sites, and whether counts averaged across six sites surveyed in both fall 2010 and fall 2011 increased (+) or decreased (-) since fall % Routes Density (birds/mile) pop. change Species Scientific Name Status LA MS AL LA MS AL AVG 2010 to 2011 Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis R Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens B, M Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola M, W Snowy Plover Charadrius nivosus B, M Wilson's Plover Charadrius wilsonia B, M, W Piping Plover Charadrius melodus M, W American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus R Willet (eastern & western) Tringa semipalmata B, M, W Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa M, W Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres M, W Red Knot Calidris canutus rufa M, W Sanderling Calidris alba M, W Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla M Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri M, W Dunlin Calidris alpina M, W Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus M, W Least Tern Sternula antillarum B, M Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica R Common Tern Sterna hirundo B, M Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus R Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis B, M Black Skimmer Rynchops niger R

6 Estimating population trends is most efficient with the same sites and routes surveyed each year for now, only six ACBS sites meet those criteria. With many new sites added and volunteers engaged, this number is growing. We must also remember that ACBS is one among other similar non breeding shorebird survey efforts in the region (e.g., Greater Gulf Waterbird Survey on National Wildlife Refuges), such that a formal analysis will require combining these datasets. Comparing target bird densities from six sites surveyed both in fall 2010 and fall 2011, 14 species showed an increase in density, while 8 species decreased in density. None of these 22 species trends differed significantly from no change and 14 increasing trends out of 22 species was also not significantly different from random chance. In other words, none of these trends appear to be statistically significant, but again, this analysis suffers from low sample size ( only 6 sites available to make between year comparisons). Continuing the existing ACBS surveys will greatly help improve our power to detect trends in the future. Birds per mile Relative density of 222 species of target waterbirds surveyed at the subset of six ACBS sites surveyed during both fall and fall fall 2010 fall How You Can Continue To Help ACBS is a year round program that is focused on documenting coastal waterbird populations during three critical periods: spring and fall migration and during the winter. By collecting data focused during these periods, we will be able to better understand how the Gulf Coast influences nation wide population trends as we compare ACBS with other regional survey efforts around the country. These data will also be a valuable asset in the conservation community s toolbox for protecting and restoring the Gulf Coast. Mozart DeDeaux/National Audubon Society A Least Tern stretching its wings

7 The next ACBS survey period lasts from 10 January to 20 February, with a goal to complete three or four surveys at each priority site (see map insets below) on or around the 5 s, meaning 15 January, 25 January, 5 February, and 15 February. It would be also useful to survey lower priority sites once during the winter period, again on the 5 s. If possible, try to time each visit to be consistent in the time of day or tide cycle. Please continue to upload the data to and copy a link of the list to If you have not participated in the past and would like to join the ACBS volunteer team, or if you have questions about the program, please contact Dustin Renaud, Gulf of Mexico Volunteer Program Manager (drenaud@audubon.org). Identification Tips for Winter 2012 Become comfortable with the small sandpipers; your choices are limited during the winter, providing good opportunities to become intimately familiar with these. In most cases, Sanderling will be the most common and widespread sandpiper on the front beach and is useful for comparison against the browner backed peeps. Your other likely choices will be Dunlin, Western Sandpiper, and Least Sandpiper, which conveniently range in size from large (Sanderling sized) to small. Note differences in bill shape and foraging behavior. Sanderlings will chase waves up and down the beach; Dunlin will often wade and probe into shallow water with long bills; Least Sandpipers are hunch backed, keeping their head low while foraging, and pick from the surface of wet sand and mud. Beware of the occasional Red Knot that is intermediate in size between Sanderling and the much larger Willet! The terns in winter plumage can be challenging, but will be transitioning into breeding (alternate) plumage by January and February. Even in winter plumage, consider bill color, but use their body shape to your advantage. Caspian and Royal Terns are largest; Caspian often flies with its bill pointed to the earth while Royal Terns fly will their bill pointed forward. Forster s Tern is the likely medium sized tern, as most Common Terns winter to our south, as do Black, Sandwich, and Least Terns. Even so, keep an eye out for a stray Sandwich or Common Tern! What bird is this? Dustin Renaud your answer by 10 January 2012 to be entered into a drawing to win a 6 th edition Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America! Good luck and happy birding!

8 Maximum counts of each species in each state reported by ACBS volunteers during the fall 2011 survey period. Species Louisiana Mississippi Alabama Black bellied Whistling Duck 5 Singing River Island Fulvous Whistling Duck 12 Holly Beach Canada Goose 45 Fairhope Park Wood Duck 1 Holly Beach Mallard 29 Fairhope Park Mottled Duck 2 Rutherford Beach 8 Singing River Island Blue winged Teal 90 Rutherford Beach 30 Washington Street Pier 2 Pelican Island Green winged Teal 1 Broussard Beach Magnificent Frigatebird 36 Grand Isle King Tarpon Park 1 Bayou Caddy Neotropic Cormorant 3 East Jetty Double crested Cormorant 34 Grand Isle King Tarpon Park 29 Bayou Caddy 3 Daphne Bayfront Park cormorant spp. 1 Elmer s Island, Grand Isle West Brown Pelican 4200 Grand Isle King Tarpon Park 345 Singing River Island 115 Pelican Island Great Blue Heron 6 Elmer s Island 21 Singing River Island 7 Pelican Island Great Egret 21 Elmer s Island 18 Graveline Bayou 1 Fairhope Park Snowy Egret 28 Elmer s Island 58 Graveline Bayou 7 Pelican Island Little Blue Heron 10 Elmer s Island 5 Graveline Bayou 1 Fairhope Park Tricolored Heron 10 Elmer s Island 5 Graveline Bayou 1 Fairhope Park, Pelican Island Reddish Egret 3 Broussard Beach, East Jetty, Grand Isle King Tarpon Park 2 Bayou Caddy 2 Pelican Island Cattle Egret 75 Holly Beach Green Heron 1 Peveto Woods beachfront, Rutherford Beach 3 Bayou Caddy 1 Black crowned Night Heron 6 Rutherford Beach Yellow crowned Night Heron 1 Peveto Woods beachfront 2 Bayou Caddy White Ibis 175 Rutherford Beach 30 Washington Street Pier Fairhope Park, Pelican Island

9 White faced Ibis 16 Rutherford Beach Roseate Spoonbill 3 Elmer s Island 1 Graveline Bayou Turkey Vulture 5 Holly Beach 1 Bayou Caddy Osprey 2 Elmer s Island 3 Washington Street Pier 2 Pelican Island Bayou Caddy, Singing Bald Eagle 2 River Island Northern Harrier 1 Broussard Beach 1 Graveline Bayou Cooper's Hawk 1 Singing River Island Broad winged Hawk 2 Fairhope Park Red tailed Hawk 1 Peveto Woods beachfront 2 Bayou Caddy Merlin 1 Broussard Beach, Grand Isle King Tarpon Park, Peveto Woods beachfront Peregrine Falcon 1 Pelican Island Clapper Rail 3 Elmer s Island 11 Graveline Bayou Sora 1 Graveline Bayou Black bellied Plover 27 East Jetty 18 Graveline Bayou 4 Pelican Island American Golden Plover 1 Pelican Island Snowy Plover 43 Broussard Beach 1 Bayou Caddy 4 Pelican Island Wilson's Plover 40 East Jetty 1 Bayou Caddy 1 Pelican Island Semipalmated Plover 22 Elmer s Island, Trinity Island East 85 Bayou Caddy 8 Pelican Island Piping Plover 15 Elmer s Island 2 Bayou Caddy 2 Pelican Island Killdeer 7 Peveto Woods beachfront, Rutherford Beach 22 Singing River Island American Oystercatcher 5 Graveline Bayou 4 Pelican Island Black necked Stilt 5 Rutherford Beach 2 Singing River Island 1 Pelican Island American Avocet 6 East Jetty 3 Graveline Bayou tern sp. 8 Gulf State Park Spotted Sandpiper 3 Holly Beach, Rutherford Beach 2 Graveline Bayou

10 Solitary Sandpiper 1 Graveline Bayou Greater Yellowlegs 3 Elmer s Island 4 Graveline Bayou Willet 30 Elmer s Island 55 Bayou Caddy 30 Pelican Island Lesser Yellowlegs 4 Washington Street Pier Upland Sandpiper 16 Holly Beach Whimbrel 3 East Jetty, Holly Beach 1 Graveline Bayou, Singing River Island Long billed Curlew 2 East Jetty Marbled Godwit 3 East Jetty 5 Bayou Caddy Ruddy Turnstone 27 Holly Beach 5 Washington Street Pier 3 Pelican Island Red Knot 5 Grand Isle King Tarpon Park 1 Bayou Caddy Sanderling 170 Broussard Beach 113 Bayou Caddy 50 Pelican Island Semipalmated Sandpiper 8 Broussard Beach 13 Graveline Bayou Western Sandpiper 225 Trinity Island East 15 Singing River Island Least Sandpiper 63 East Jetty 15 Bayou Caddy 1 Pelican Island Baird's Sandpiper 2 Holly Beach Graveline Bayou, Singing Pectoral Sandpiper 2 River Island 1 Pelican Island peep sp. 22 Broussard Beach 80 Bayou Caddy Dunlin 13 Graveline Bayou Stilt Sandpiper 4 East Jetty Buff breasted Sandpiper 3 Holly Beach Short billed Dowitcher 9 Grand Isle King Tarpon Park 235 Bayou Caddy 13 Pelican Island Dowitcher spp. 17 Graveline Bayou shorebird sp. 5 Rutherford Beach Laughing Gull 7300 Holly Beach 1500 Bayou Caddy 150 Fairhope Park Franklin's Gull 5 Broussard Beach 3 Bayou Caddy Ring billed Gull 13 Broussard Beach 24 Bayou Caddy Herring Gull 95 Broussard Beach 4 Bayou Caddy 5 Pelican Island Lesser Black backed Gull 2 Broussard Beach

11 Great Black backed Gull 1 Pelican Island Least Tern 85 Grand Isle King Tarpon Park 79 Graveline Bayou Gull billed Tern 7 Holly Beach 3 Bayou Caddy 1 Pelican Island Caspian Tern 260 Broussard Beach 21 Singing River Island 10 Pelican Island Black Tern 215 Trinity Island East 350 Bayou Caddy 24 Pelican Island Common Tern 18 Grand Isle King Tarpon Park 6 Bayou Caddy 22 Ft Morgan BSNWR Forster's Tern 55 Holly Beach 250 Bayou Caddy 30 Fairhope Park Royal Tern 2000 Peveto Woods beachfront 210 Graveline Bayou 60 Ft Morgan BSNWR Sandwich Tern 175 Grand Isle King Tarpon Park 6 Singing River Island, Graveline Bayou 120 Ft Morgan BSNWR Black Skimmer 355 East Jetty 70 Washington Street Pier 3 Gulf State Park Rock Pigeon 12 Peveto Woods beachfront 25 Washington Street Pier 6 Fairhope Park Eurasian Collared Dove 2 Grand Isle King Tarpon Park, Holly Beach 3 Graveline Bayou, Washington Street Pier 2 Fairhope Park Mourning Dove 6 Peveto Woods beachfront 20 Singing River Island 30 Pelican Island Common Nighthawk 24 Holly Beach Eastern Whip poor will 1 Broussard Beach Chimney Swift 1 Bayou Caddy Ruby throated Hummingbird 1 Grand Isle West, Rutherford Beach 8 Fairhope Park Belted Kingfisher 1 Elmer s Island 4 Graveline Bayou Red headed Woodpecker 8 Fairhope Park Red bellied Woodpecker 6 Fairhope Park Downy Woodpecker 1 Fairhope Park Eastern Kingbird 4 Grand Isle West 2 Singing River Island Scissor tailed Flycatcher 1 Bayou Caddy Loggerhead Shrike 2 Broussard Beach 3 Graveline Bayou White eyed Vireo 2 Fairhope Park Blue Jay 3 Graveline Bayou 6 Fairhope Park American Crow 10 Grand Isle King Tarpon Park

12 Fish Crow 14 Graveline Bayou Purple Martin 4 Holly Beach 1 Bayou Caddy Tree Swallow 25 Bayou Caddy Northern Rough winged Swallow 20 East Jetty Bank Swallow 3200 Holly Beach Cliff Swallow 6250 Holly Beach 30 Bayou Caddy Barn Swallow 5500 Holly Beach 90 Bayou Caddy 4 Pelican Island swallow sp. 500 East Jetty 3 Fairhope Park Carolina Chickadee 4 Fairhope Park Tufted Titmouse 3 Fairhope Park Carolina Wren 3 Fairhope Park House Wren 1 Singing River Island Sedge Wren 2 Graveline Bayou Marsh Wren 1 Trinity Island East 6 Graveline Bayou Blue gray Gnatcatcher 1 East Jetty, Rutherford Beach Eastern Bluebird 4 Fairhope Park Gray Catbird 1 Singing River Island Northern Mockingbird 4 Broussard Beach 5 Graveline Bayou 16 Fairhope Park Brown Thrasher 1 Graveline Bayou 6 Fairhope Park Graveline Bayou, European Starling 75 Grand Isle West 15 Washington Street Pier 1 Fairhope Park Northern Waterthrush 2 Rutherford Beach Tennessee Warbler 1 Washington Street Pier Common Yellowthroat 2 Grand Isle West 12 Singing River Island Yellow Warbler 10 Holly Beach 10 Singing River Island Palm Warbler 3 Grand Isle West 3 Singing River Island Yellow rumped Warbler 1 Bayou Caddy Lark Sparrow 1 Holly Beach Savannah Sparrow 15 Singing River Island

13 Nelson's Sparrow 11 Graveline Bayou Seaside Sparrow 3 Elmer s Island, Rutherford Beach 9 Graveline Bayou Swamp Sparrow 1 Singing River Island Northern Cardinal 4 Fairhope Park Blue Grosbeak 1 Elmer s Island Indigo Bunting 2 Bayou Caddy Dickcissel 2 Holly Beach Red winged Blackbird 45 Elmer s Island 25 Singing River Island 12 Trinity Island East Boat tailed Grackle 30 Elmer s Island 5 Graveline Bayou Great tailed Grackle 32 Holly Beach grackle sp. 2 Rutherford Beach Brown headed Cowbird 2 Grand Isle King Tarpon Park 36 Bayou Caddy Orchard Oriole 6 Grand Isle King Tarpon Park House Finch 8 Pelican Island