California Least Tern & Western Snowy Plover Monitoring Project. Huntington State Beach Least Tern Natural Preserve A Partnership Since 2005

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1 California Least Tern & Western Snowy Plover Monitoring Project Huntington State Beach Least Tern Natural Preserve A Partnership Since 2005

2 Identification California Least Tern - CLTE Endangered 9-10 Nests in colonies Dives from air for fish Parents feed young Nesting colony can be fenced Western Snowy Plover - WSPL Threatened 5-7 Nests in loose colonies or singly Feeds on invertebrates at wrack line Parents do not feed young Nesting area cannot be fenced

3 History of the Least Tern Natural Preserve Established in 1973 Location: At the mouth of the Santa Ana River at Huntington State Beach 1 st fully protected (fenced) California Least Tern colony in California At that time there were only 5 nesting pairs in the Preserve In recent years there have been pairs

4 History of the Natural Preserve The Preserve was originally ~1.5 acres Now it is just over 12 acres

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6 California Least Tern Listed as Endangered in 1970 Historically nested along west coast beaches from Monterey, CA to southern Baja Currently 6 nesting areas in OC Huntington State Beach Natural Preserve Seal Beach NWR Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve Burris Sand Pit/Burris Basin Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve

7 CA State Parks and the Natural Preserve Maintain the Natural Preserve Non-native plant removal Plant native plants Maintain fencing Move sand and remove debris and trash Native Beach Primrose Introduced Sea Rocket

8 New Fencing 2016

9 2016 Moving Sand!

10 CA State Parks and the Natural Preserve Least Tern Monitoring Project Partnership with CA State Parks & Sea & Sage Audubon Provide orientation and training for Docents Provide manuals and supplies Work with Santa Ana Watershed Association (SAWA) and USFWS

11 SAWA Biologists use blinds to monitor the colony. Tina Coombe

12 CA State Parks and the Natural Preserve Provide Protection Enforce regulations Predator management

13 Current Success of Least Terns at the Preserve CLTE nest counts at the Preserve 2005 ~ 310 nests 2006 ~ 420 nests 2007 ~ 485 nests 2008 ~ 454 nests 2009 ~ 434 nests 2010 ~ 433 nests 2011 ~ 712 nests 2012 ~ 542 nests 2013 ~ 347 nests 2014 ~ 516 nests 2015 ~ 524 nests Actual productivity difficult to count Disperse quickly, in waves Migratory Productivity can vary, year to year

14 2015 Results - Least Tern Productivity * * Huntington State Beach Estimated # Breeding Pairs # of Nests 524 Estimated # of Fledglings Fledglings per pair Ratio Full report available on website

15 Western Snowy Plover (Pacific Population) Listed as Threatened in 1993 under Endangered Species Act Historically nested at the Santa Ana River mouth and along west coast beaches from southern Washington to southern Baja Separate population from interior nesters

16 Western Snowy Plover (Pacific Population), Cont. Only current regular Orange County nesting is at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve but nesting attempts have been documented on Balboa Peninsula in Only ~2000 birds are in the U.S. Pacific Population and their population is not stable

17 Current Success of Western Snowy Plovers at the Preserve No Nesting at the Preserve Beach is heavily used during their breeding season State Parks must balance public recreation with protection of the birds Not enough room Not colonial nesters like terns Cannot be fenced in like terns

18 Western Snowy Plovers Use the Beach by the Preserve Snowy Plovers do use OC beaches Especially from July, through winter Not all are migratory, but they do disperse Record sightings on data sheet Helpful to report color bands

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20 Monitoring Project Began in 2005 In 2005, USFWS & California State Parks hoped to develop a safe and desirable area for the Western Snowy Plover to nest at the Natural Preserve while maintaining the success of the California Least Terns In partnership with Sea & Sage Audubon, the volunteer docent project was created for the 2005 breeding season

21 What is the Role of the Docent/Monitor? We EDUCATE by: Providing beach goers with accurate information on the natural history and biology of terns & plovers Helping to identify birds through a scope or binoculars Interpreting State Park rules for visitors Encouraging questions and learning on all levels

22 Talk to the public about potential problems Bettina Eastman

23 What is the Role of the Docent/Monitor? We PROTECT by watching for disturbances and predators to the terns Dogs on beach Trespassing inside Preserve fence Sitting along fence Predators

24 Tina Coombe

25 What is the Role of the Docent/Monitor? Rules and Regulations Not the Docent s job to enforce them See manual for details Public Relations Make a positive contact every time Observe & Record Behavior & breeding status of the terns Predators

26 Docents keeping their eyes on the Tern Preserve Tina Coombe

27 Tina Coombe Surf Camp

28 Dogs-Water Play in the S.A. River Near the Preserve Tina Coombe

29 Predators and Problems at The Natural Preserve American Crow

30 Common Raven

31 Great Blue Heron Tina Coombe

32 Great Egret Tina Coombe

33 California Ground Squirrel

34 Peregrine Falcon Population is increasing in our area.

35 Rats American Kestrel Coyote

36 Red-tailed Hawk

37 Gull-billed Tern Terrestrial Feeder Depredated both Least Tern and Snowy Plover chicks.

38 Gull-billed Tern

39 Beach Activities & Recreation Surround the Preserve Ross Griswold

40 Beach Activities & Recreation Ross Griswold

41 Frisbee Motorized Hang Glider Kites and Kite Surfing Beach Tar

42 Helicopters Make a note of agency & numbers Bob Seabourn

43 This big bird landed in the Preserve in 2012 Holly Fuhrer

44 Geolocators Geolocators were placed on Least Terns last year. Please watch for terns with them attached to a leg. Call Lana Nguyen immediately if you see one and try to get a nest number or location if it is nesting. If the tern is recaptured, the data on the instrument may tell the researcher where the bird spent the winter!

45 Biologists trying to capture a tern and attach a geolocator Tina Coombe

46 Least Tern from another colony with geolocator attached in Several were recovered in 2013 through This study continues.

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48 Ross Griswold The terns return mid-april, & court, mate, nest, and raise their young.

49 Bob Hodgin

50 Jodi Newell

51 Courtship, Breeding, Chick Rearing & Fledging Wendy Miller

52 Holly Fuhrer

53 Holly Fuhrer

54 Holly Fuhrer

55 Holly Fuhrer

56 Holly Fuhrer

57 Holly Fuhrer

58 Holly Fuhrer

59 Holly Fuhrer

60 Ross Griswold

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62 Ross Griswold

63 C. Kam

64 Ross Griswold

65 C. Kam

66 C. Kam

67 C. Kam

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69 Holly Fuhrer

70 Holly Fuhrer

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72 Holly Fuhrer

73 Holly Fuhrer

74 Holly Fuhrer

75 Holly Fuhrer

76 Holly Fuhrer

77 Holly Fuhrer

78 Wendy Miller

79 Wendy Miller

80 Holly Fuhrer Juveniles have a short tail

81 Wendy Miller

82 Wendy Miller

83 Wendy Miller

84 Wendy Miller

85 Wendy Miller Western Snowy Plovers

86 Wendy Miller

87 Ross Griswold S

88 Holly Fuhrer

89 Available on the website Go to: Least Tern/Snowy Plover Project, 2016 Nesting Season 1. Docent Manual (Rev. 5/14) 2. Volunteer Shift Schedule by month 3. Aging Classification Sheet for Chicks & Fledglings CLTE Productivity Report 5. Chronological list of announcements

90 Images contained in this presentation belong to each of the photographers as noted and may not be reproduced or distributed in any manner without the express written permission of the photographer. Thank you. Presentation & Graphics Cheryl Egger