Snowy Plover Docent Day 2 at North Beach

Sunday June 2 marked my second day as a snowy plover docent this season. I was joined at North Beach by returning docents Maggie and Cheryl. Ranger Fiona greeted us warmly at the Bear Valley Visitor Center headquarters and made sure we had all our gear and got a refresher on radio use.

The day started out quietly with only a handful of visitors but the beach got busier as the sun broke through ever so slightly in the afternoon. Maggie did the first roam onto the beach spotting a nesting plover on one of the nests between North and South Beach. Spoiler alert: Matt reported that two of these nests were recently lost to sneaker waves during high tides. The nests were far away from the shoreline! It’s a good reminder to pay attention to tide charts and keep your eyes on the water. See the photo below showing the roped off area of the beach protecting the nesting area and notice how far it is from the shoreline.

Matt reported in his second weekly snowy plover update of the season that we have 2 active nests on Limantour Spit, 1 on Kehoe Beach, 2 in then Abbotts Lagoon Restoration Area, and 4 on the beach between the Abbotts Lagoon. Many new ones are expected in the areas where the nests were recently lost.

As of mid June, 10-14 chicks are running around on Point Reyes beaches and 9 chicks have fledged. We only have one fledgling at this time last year so fingers crossed that this bodes well for a successful season. Read Matt’s full Snowy Plover Update on the Point Reyes National Seashore website.

My favorite dog on the beach this time was an elderly Jack Russell Terrier-type dog on a last visit to the beach as he approached the end of his life. What a dear sweet dog. I wish him a peaceful passing.

My next volunteer day is June 15. Stay tuned!

Maggie

Nests high onshore in the roped off area were lost due to high tide sneaker waves