PHOTO: CYNTHIA HARTLEY

SHOREBIRD RECOVERY PROGRAM - SCIENCE

Our nest monitoring work documents snowy plover and least tern nest outcomes at Ormond and Hollywood Beaches.  Our staff and contract biologists possess USFWS and CDFW permits to conduct field work with western snowy plovers and California least terns.  Below are the activities we perform as part of the science component of our program:

Nest Searching and Beach Patrol

Survey the beach weekly, search for banded birds and nests, re-check known nests, look for chicks and any signs of disturbance or threats

Mapping

Locate and mark nests with GPS and create maps of nest locations and fences

Nest Outcome

Follow nests until they hatch or fail, and when nests fail determine the cause 

FIELD CAMERAS

What happens when we aren't watching...

Using trail and small sport cameras, we record disturbance, depredation and nest hatching when we can't be there

Predator Exclosures

protect nests from egg eating predators

2020 NESTING SEASON SUMMARY

Ormond Beach 2020

In 2020 our staff biologists conducted 50 nest surveys, representing over 300 hours of effort. 

This does not count all of the hours of volunteer help! 

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We found 53 snowy plover nests and 23 least tern nests.

Hollywood Beach 2020

This beach is smaller and more urban than Ormond and always has fewer nests. Typically, this location serves as a secondary nesting area when other areas fail, which is what happened this year.  

Our contract biologist Barringer Biological found

21 tern nests and 10 snowy plover nests.

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Our nest monitoring work is supported in part by an Endangered Species Act Section 6 grant.