Please welcome guest blogger and member of Audubon North Carolina’s coastal team, Lindsay Addison. Here, she has detailed the results of the 2013 season.
Cape Fear River
On the Lower Cape Fear River, Audubon staff monitored productivity for 54 out of 98 total breeding American Oystercatcher pairs. Although overwash from spring tides and passing ships was a problem at Shellbed Island, apparent productivity on natural and dredge islands on the river exceeded the 0.35 fledglings/pair that is needed to sustain and grow oystercatcher populations.
Meanwhile, the White Ibis continued their successful return to Battery Island. An estimated 7,000 pairs nested this year, in addition to hundreds of Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets and other wading birds. On South Pelican Island, a dredge spoil island, Audubon staff coordinated with longtime researchers to band 2,234 Royal Tern Chicks and 682 Sandwich Tern chicks. In North Carolina, these species nest nearly exclusively on dredge islands, and so islands like those on the river are essential to their survival. Also banded were 1,234 Brown Pelican chicks. And, in a first for the Cape Fear River, a small group of Brown Pelicans chose to nest on Striking Island. This natural marsh island has been used by oystercatchers, gulls and terns in the past, but this is the first time pelicans have nested on it.
Wrightsville Beach
Audubon again worked on Wrightsville Beach this year. The beach-nesting bird colony at the south end continued to be a success. The colony hosted about 20% of the state’s Black Skimmers, and nearly 10% of the state’s nesting Least Terns.
Least Terns, Common Terns, Black Skimmers and American Oystercatchers enjoyed excellent productivity rates (below), meaning that not only are significant percentages of some species occurring in the south Wrightsville Beach posting, but they are able to produce the next generation of terns and skimmers there.
Watching over the colony were bird stewards, volunteers who keep an eye on the posting, educate beachgoers about nesting birds, and show visitors the eggs and chicks with spotting scopes and binoculars. Volunteer coordinator Marlene Eader grew the steward program from less than a dozen volunteers in 2012 to more than 54 this year. The stewards donated more than 700 hours for the birds, and reached an estimated 3,000 beachgoers.
Mason Inlet biological technician Zach Gilstrap and intern Carlie Thieman monitored nesting on Wrightsville Beach this summer. When a pair of American Oystercatchers nested in dunes in front of beachfront condos, the Town of Wrightsville Beach allowed the area to be posted, and the pair successfully fledged a chick.
Masonboro Island
American Oystercatcher productivity had never been monitored on Masonboro Island, which is part of the NC Coastal Reserve. This summer, staff monitored 34 pairs, which produced nine fledglings. Though this is below target productivity to sustain and grow oystercatcher populations, reserve staff are working to improve management for beach-nesting birds. The productivity data collected helps to document the birds’ needs, and demonstrates management successes.
Lea-Hutaff Island
Lea Island, the north end of Lea-Hutaff Island, saw the return of Least Terns in large numbers this year. Nearly 200 pairs of Least Terns nested this year, and successfully fledged chicks. Tara McIver, the biological technician responsible for the island, watched over them on busy holiday weekends, and monitored other species nesting on the island as well, including 25 pairs of American Oystercatchers and five loggerhead sea turtle nests.
Raccoons on the island are hard on the oystercatchers, but one pair fledged a chick, and thanks to Tara caging each sea turtle nest, no turtle eggs were lost to predators, although two nests recently received overwash during stormy weather. Our turtle nesting started late this year, so we are still waiting to see what our hatching results will be.
Ocracoke Inlet
Biological technician Maria Logan monitored oystercatcher productivity at Ocracoke Inlet, coordinated banding and other research efforts on Audubon’s islands, and assisted the NC Coastal Federation on oyster placement efforts designed to help stabilize Beacon Island. Although the islands are small and often subject to overwash during storms and spring tides, oystercatcher chicks fledged from every island. Meanwhile, Beacon Island hosted well over 500 pairs of Brown Pelicans and produced more than 1,100 chicks, making 2013 among the largest colonies on record.
Around the State
Audubon staff also helped the NC Wildlife Resources Commission carry out its American Oystercatcher breeding census, covering the coast at Ocracoke Inlet, in the Cedar Island area, and from Topsail Island south to the Cape Fear River. This data is used to monitor the state’s breeding population of oystercatchers. Data collected from the surveys is also being used by a PhD candidate at NCSU to model oystercatcher populations, and create more effective surveys for breeding oystercatchers.
At all sites, Audubon North Carolina staff banded 30 American Oystercatcher chicks, and through a grant from Toyota TogetherGreen collaborated with Ted Simons of NCSU to put out six satellite transmitters on oystercatchers at Cape Lookout National Seashore and in the Cape Fear region.
Overall, Audubon North Carolina’s sanctuary islands protect 30-35% of the state’s nesting water-birds, including Great Egrets, White Ibis, Brown Pelicans and more. For those species that were not monitored as closely as American Oystercatchers, success appeared to be good. No large weather events caused losses, and disturbance at all sites was minimal, thanks to the work of staff and volunteers.
