 |
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, June 26
18 fledglings thus far this year! Great progress so far, but the Western Snowy Plover has much to go before it can be declared viable once again.
This year is very different than other years. After a late start in the start of nesting, new nests are still being established late in the season. 5 new nests were discovered this week giving a total of 63 nests found at the Pajaro Spit and Zmudowski beach this year.
Recently, a Pajaro Dunes resident asked this question: "I have been reading that the Snowy Plover is not an endangered species. Possibly number of birds down on Monterey Bay but increased numbers in other areas of the country. The State has severely restricted dogs on the beach. What is the State doing about the danger to the Snowy Plover caused by Feral Cats, Seagulls, Skunks and other predators?"
Snowy Plovers were granted federal protection in 1993 under the Endangered Species Act. In February of this year, the Pacific Legal Foundation filed a suit to have the Western Snowy Plover delisted. Their claim was based on a study that claimed that the population of Snowy Plovers on the coast were not a "distinct" population from the species found in the interior. While the interior population of Snowy Plover is thriving, the West Coast Snowy Plover are still under duress. Partially due to this suit, the US Fish and Wildlife Service will conduct a study of the scientific evidence and consider whether the Western Snowy Plover should retain its status. Until such time, the Snowy Plover is still protected.
As part of the Snowy Plover Recovery Program, various governmental bodies try to manage predators through various mechanisms.
The restriction of dogs on the beach is just one of the measures that are taken to take care of the Snowy Plover. In the end, the Snowy Plover needs our help to assist in its recovery process. It has been found that some human activity (kite flying, horseback riding, and dogwalking) are very threatening to the Snowy Plovers and the State has decided to take steps to assist in their recovery.
Predators are a critical issue in the Snowy Plover Recovery. While gulls are natural predators; skunks, weasels, cats, and ravens have become predators due to man's influence -- trash on the beach, residences, being a few causal agents.
The result of the work at Pajaro Dunes has resulted in a growth of the population of Snowy Plovers in our backyard, the Pajaro Spit. Pajaro Dunes is a good example of how behavior can mitigate our impact on the Snowy Plover while still having the ability to enjoy the beach.
Education and awareness will help us all understand the plight of the Western Snowy Plover.
Previous Log Entries
- June 17 - Discover the resources to better understand the Snowy Plover
- June 16 - Describes broody behavior of male while rearing chicks
- June 3 - A week in the life of a volunteer, and the first fledglings of 2004!
- May 13 - Adult tactics to distract predators from nests and chicks
- May 10 - The first hatching, and how chicks are banded for identification
- April 28 - Compare a Snowy Plover with Sanderlings
- April 21 - Meet Ricky and John Warriner, Pajaro Dunes' resident Plover volunteers
- April 14 - Learn about a Plover's Nest called a Scrape