Biologists have found several snowy plover nests on Limantour Beach this year, including that of the long reigning “royal” plover pair that has been nesting in the area since 2018./NPS, Matt Lau

Western snowy plovers at Point Reyes National Seashore in California have been having a good nesting year and it's possible the outcome could be just as big or bigger than last year's 40-45 individuals, according to the National Park Service.

Back in May Rita Beamish reported that concern for the birds has broader implications than their place at Point Reyes because Western snowy plovers are an indicator species that signals the health of the coastal ecosystem; their habitat degradation indicates a broader ecosystem decline.

“It’s hard to have an intact beach ecosystem and not have snowy plovers,” Kriss Neuman, principal ecologist in the Monterey Bay region for Point Blue Conservation Science, a nonprofit organization that initiated monitoring of the snowy plovers in 1995 and works on research and recovery efforts, told Beamish.

“Once you have native habitat and enough buffer from human disturbance, you will have snowy plovers. This has happened time and again” at coastal locales where dune restoration and habitat protection efforts, such as keeping out dogs, have occurred, Neuman said.  “They are highly responsive to the state of the environment."

Fast-forward to June, and National Park Service biologists report that things are continuing to look up for the plovers at Point Reyes. 

Since March, National Park Service and Point Blue Conservation Science biologists have been carefully monitoring beaches and dunes at Point Reyes for snowy plover nests. The team is finding that the plovers are having a productive nesting year. As of mid-June, they have located 30 nests around Abbotts Lagoon, Point Reyes Beach, Kehoe Beach, and Limantour Beach. Sixteen of these nests were found at the start of the field season in April; typically, biologists don't find this many nests until peak season (late May-early July). The monitoring team also determined that the plovers’ breeding population size this year is similar, if not a bit larger, than last year’s — around 40-45 individuals.

Early nest surveys have also reaffirmed that Abbotts Lagoon restoration efforts are working. Many of the active nests this year are located in this area. Coastal dune restoration projects have been ongoing at the seashore since 2001 to provide improved habitat for the plovers and other native species, such as Tidestrom’s lupine. The many dunes and low-lying native vegetation in this restoration area, informally known as “Abbotts Triangle,” provide ideal hiding spots for the little birds. This vegetation is perfect for staying concealed from predators but makes it tremendously difficult for biologists to keep track of the skittery plover dads (who raise the young) and their hatchlings.

Hopefully, these fluffy hatchlings will return to the restoration area next year to breed during the 2024 field season. The team bands each plover chick with a unique color combination to track individuals and determine return rates. Through observation of these color bands, 18 of the 29 fledglings hatched in 2022 have been confirmed to be breeding at the seashore, or elsewhere along the coast. Biologists haven't seen such high juvenile return rates since the start of the banding program at Point Reyes.

As the field season progresses, the team will continue monitoring each nest to determine nesting success and chick survival. So far, 11 nests have hatched — including that of the long-reigning plover pair dubbed the “king and queen of Limantour.” As of May 21st, they have two feathery new heirs.