Ormond Beach, Oxnard California 9/2/24
| Total Nests | Hatched Nests | Failed Nests | Unknown Outcome |
Snowy Plover | 59 | 22 | 36 | 1 |
Least Tern | 22 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
Season Summary
This was a challenging year!
Despite having one of the highest numbers of snowy plover nests in the past 20 years, we encountered a significant failure rate. Out of 59 plover nests, 61% failed, resulting in 36 lost nests. Predators were the main cause, impacting 33 nests. The predators, ranked by the number of nests lost, were ravens, skunks, ground squirrels, coyotes, and crows. The remaining nests failed due to abandonment, which is relatively common each year.
The most critical measure of success is the number of fledglings. For least terns, we had none, while for snowy plovers, we counted a total of 20 fledglings—though some of these may have been double-counted in subsequent weeks. The true number was likely between 10 and 15 fledglings. To put this in context, we documented 169 plover eggs laid, of which 62 hatched, resulting in a success rate of 6% to 9%. While we are pleased to have documented as many fledglings as we did, there is significant room for improvement.
This year differed from last in that we did not lose any plover nests to human activity or tidal washouts. However, of the 21 tern nests, all but one failed. Of these, 18 were lost to predators, and one was taken by humans. The remaining nests failed due to abandonment.
A major concern this year was human disturbance. Although we didn’t lose any plover nests to human activity, we did lose one tern nest due to human take. We experienced unprecedented levels of human-related issues, including people pushing bicycles through the habitat, walking dogs in the area, vandalizing fences, camping in or near the habitats, leaving large trash piles, scavenging for sea glass near the nests, and stealing trail cameras. These disturbances likely contributed to the increased predation of nests.
Ventura Audubon is a member of the Ormond Beach Scientific Advisory Committee and has been asked to provide input on the restoration design. Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts where we will share our recommendations to address the issues impacting nesting outcomes at Ormond Beach.
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