Nesting Season Winding Down

Ormond Beach, Oxnard California 7/31/24

	Total Nests	Active Nests	Hatched Nests	Failed Nests
Snowy Plover	61	2	19	40
Least Tern	22	0	1	21

Ormond Beach Snowy Plover - photo by Annette Patterson

July Snowy Plover Update

The last snowy plover nest of the season, #61 photo by Rachel Ameche

We are closely monitoring our final two snowy plover nests of the season. The last plover nest is expected to hatch by August 16th, and we will continue our surveys for another four weeks after the final nest hatches. These extended surveys allow us to track the chicks to the fledgling stage if they survive. Documenting fledglings is one of the most important metrics we collect.

Challenges for California Least Terns on Ormond Beach

Unfortunately, the California least terns experienced their toughest year at Ormond Beach since 2013, when the colony was decimated by ravens. This year, just one nest managed to hatch, but the chick perished within a week. As these birds rely heavily on their colony for survival, a lone nest does not qualify as a colony. The decrease in nests was predominantly due to predators preying on the eggs. Despite this disheartening result, we will use the collected data to produce reports for landowners and regulatory agencies, aiding in the improvement of land management techniques.

The only CLT nest to hatch this year - photo Kat Whitehouse

Success amongst adversity - Snowy Plover Fledglings

We are keeping our fingers crossed for the successful hatching of the last two plover nests. This year has been particularly challenging due to predators and human disturbance in the nesting habitat. Despite these challenges, some nests have successfully hatched, and we have been regularly spotting fledgling snowy plovers along the tideline. With the nesting season nearly over, we will soon be compiling and sharing our nest statistics.

Below is a great photo of one of our juvenile snowy plovers that survived despite the odds. Of all the eggs produced by plovers on Ormond Beach, very few make it to fledgling age. You can identify it as a 2024 fledgling by the white scalloping on its feathers, a characteristic of a "hatch year" bird. A very rare bird indeed! Thank you Annette for such a great image!

Ormond Beach Hatch Year Juvenile - photo by Annette Patterson

Exploring Challenges on Ormond Beach: Predators and Human Disturbance

We have collected substantial trail camera footage and other data detailing the challenges on Ormond Beach. Stay tuned for follow-up posts addressing core issues such as predators and human disturbance.