Snowy Plover Docent Day 6 at Abbotts Lagoon
On Sunday, August 4, I joined volunteer docents Allison and Midori at Abbotts Lagoon for another lovely day in the cool fog. We talked with more than 75 visitors, answering questions about the plovers, wildlife, and trail recommendations. Visitors shared their wildlife sightings. One couple said they had seen two California Condors feeding on an old deer carcass but that seemed unlikely given the location. Turkey vultures make more sense since they are common in the area, but they described the birds as much larger than Turkey vultures.
Four river otters were out and about swimming in the lower lagoon, and of course, the stalwart Great Blue Heron was on duty along with several Great Egret. I watched the birds fish in the lagoon for a while. They are so patient - waiting for just the right moment to strike. The water was still like glass and reflected the birds perfectly.
One of the last snowy plover nests of the season was a short walk north along the beach. I visited to the edge of the fenced area, but didn’t see any nest activity in the protective wire exclosure using my binoculars. The nest may have already hatched and the chicks dispersed with their dad.
The most exciting moment of the day was spotting snowy plovers flocking in a large patch of greenery between the lagoon and dunes. I counted 33 but the official count by biologists is 60 at Abbotts Lagoon. Even in such a large number, they are small and difficult to spot. I pointed them out to as many visitors as possible and shared my binoculars so they could get a closer look. It’s wonderful to finally see “snowies” after two months of only seeing their cute photos in weekly updates.
As of August 9, we have 2 active nests and 28 chicks on Point Reyes beaches. Twenty chicks have successfully fledged and are on their own. Matt reports that winter flocks of snowy plovers continue to grow and can be found at the Abbotts Lagoon mouth, south Kehoe Beach, Limantour Spit, and North Beach. Read about it in the weekly snowy plover update.
My next volunteer day is August 18. Stay tuned for more snowy plover adventures.
