Snowy Plover Docent Day 4 at North Beach

Jim and I were the only snowy plover docent volunteers on Saturday June 23rd at North Beach but we covered a lot of ground together. The day started quietly but picked up with many more visitors in the afternoon as the weather improved. We took turns roving the beach and reminding visitors to keep their dogs on leash. Fog hung low and drifted in and out throughout the day. We put up our sunshade when we arrived and then spent most of the day sitting outside of it to stay warm.

It was a fairly quiet day with the exception of two people who ignored signage and walked north on the beach into the closed area where the majority of nesting is happening this year. I radioed park rangers who came out but had to leave quickly for an emergency.

As Jim was roving, he noticed that more signage is needed along the parking lot entrances to the beach telling people that dogs must be on leash. Ranger Fiona will see what she can do.

I spotted two people with clipboards on the beach likely doing their beach watch volunteer shift which involves gathering data about wildlife and conditions along the beach. I was hoping to connect with them to see if they had noticed anything interesting but I didn’t see them exit the beach.

One person fishing got lucky and caught two redtail surfperch. In my limited experience, I rarely see anyone catch fish at North Beach but that doesn’t take away from the joy of casting your line into the surf.

We didn’t see anyone surfing and only a few brave souls who ventured to the shoreline to dip their toes.

My favorite dog on the beach this time was Earl Grey, a pitbull mix jokingly described as part hyena by his person thanks to his unusual vocalizations - a very sweet dog with a distinctive sound.

As of June 21, we had 8 active nests and 12-15 chicks on Point Reyes beaches. Fourteen chicks have successfully fledged and are on their own. I hope these positive numbers keep increasing. Check out the latest snowy plover updates.

My next volunteer day is July 20. Stay tuned for more snowy plover adventures.