 |
The Snowy Plover ChroniclesEvery year, a new spring arrives. At Pajaro, volunteers spend several months helping a little creature – the Western Snowy Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus. The Snowy Plover, weighing between 1 to 2 ounces, is on the Federal Endangered Species List primarily because it has lost vast areas of its habitat due to human intrusion. Volunteers all along the West Coast participate in a program to assist the Snowy Plover in surviving and regaining its population. Over the next few months, the Friends of Pajaro Dunes will maintain a weekly log of activities and progress of the Snowy Plover on beaches at and around the Last Mile. |
Log Entry, May 13
Last week, we mentioned that chicks quickly learn to forage for themselves. Of course, the male adult is always with them until they have fledged. Those first few days are very crucial for those young chicks as they can be easily caught by predators. One behavior that the parent may use to defend the chicks is to use a "broken wing display". When a predator approaches, the adult limps along the ground with one wing up in the air, calling sharply and drawing the intruder away from the chicks. Once the predator has been led a safe distance away, the "broken" wing magically heals and the plover flies back to the brood.
The winds were very strong late Sunday with gusts over 35 mph. Not surprisingly, blowing sand covered three of the nests. The volunteers dug up the nests and restored them to a scrape, hoping that the pair will attend to them.
ps004 hatched today with 3 chicks giving a total of 11 chicks and 4 nests that have hatched thus far this year. John Warriner feels that there are more breeding pairs than in previous years and that the prospect for a good year is good. Now if the wind can die down!
