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From Another Board
Posted By: King In Response To: Bird Population (John)
Date: Friday, 7-4-08, at 3:50 p.m.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Resource Management Weekly Field Summary; June 26 to July 2, 2008
(Bodie Island, Hatteras, and Ocracoke Districts)Piping Plover:
Observations Thurs
6/26 Fri
6/27 Sat
6/28 Sun
6/29 Mon
6/30 Tues
7/1 Weds
7/2
Oregon Inlet 2 2 5 4 4 2 2
Cape Point 12 4 8 5 6 6 8
South Beach 0 1 2 0 0 0 0
Overwash Fans 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hatteras Inlet 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
N. Ocracoke 1 1 0 0 0 0 2
S. Ocracoke 5 8 4 5 3 6 7PIPL Update:
Bodie Island:
One pair has been identified on Bodie Island. Nest 6 is at day 33 and is being monitored daily. The adults continue to incubate.Hatteras Island:
A total of six pairs have been identified in the Cape Point/South Beach area, but there is possibly a seventh pair that has yet to be confirmed.Ocracoke Island:
A total of four pairs have been identified on Ocracoke Island. On 7/1, two previously observed scrapes in the Nest 3 area were sanded over after several days of strong winds. One PIPL was observed early in the morning but the scrapes had not been cleaned out at that time. On 7/1, two previously observed scrapes in the Nest 8 area were sanded over after several days of strong winds. This pair has been observed southwest of the first scrape area but no new scrapes have been found at this time.Nests/Brood data:
PIPL Nest 1 (Cape Point) was lost due to a storm.
PIPL Nest/Brood 2 (Ocracoke) is continuing to do well and is still raising three chicks. The 25-35 day fledge window began on 6/30. The chicks have not yet attempted to fly.
PIPL Nest/Brood 3 (Ocracoke) lost the chick on 6/20.
PIPL Nest/Brood 4 (Cape Point) consists of two chicks, continues to forage in the ephemeral pools at the mouth of Salt Pond. They have made short flights and are considered fledged.
PIPL Nest/Brood 5 (Cape Point) consists of two chicks and is foraging at the small Salt Pond.
PIPL Nest 6 (Bodie Island) is in the hatch window and the birds continue to incubate.
PIPL Nest 7 (Ocracoke) was lost due to a storm.
PIPL Nest 8 (Ocracoke) was abandoned after two eggs were predated.
PIPL Nest/Brood 9 (Cape Point) hatched 7/2. There were two chicks observed in the exclosure at the close of monitoring on 7/2.
PIPL Nest/Brood 10 (South Beach) hatched 7/2. There was one chick observed in the exclosure at the close of monitoring on 7/2.
PIPL Nest 11 (Ocracoke) continues to incubate four eggs. A nest check was performed on 7/1 and the exclosure is in good condition with no signs of predators. The estimated hatch date is July 13.
PIPL Nest/Brood 12 (Cape Point) hatched 7/2. There was one chick observed in the exclosure at the close of monitoring on 7/2.
PIPL Nest 13 (Cape Point) was found and exclosed on 6/22 as a 2-egg nest.Eleven breeding pair (one on Bodie, six on Hatteras, four on Ocracoke) of PIPLs have been confirmed on the Seashore thus far for 2008.
Am. Oystercatchers Update:
AMOY Update: (active = # of nests w/eggs (not hatched); hatched= # of nests w/ chicks)32 total nests to date; 5 active nests; 16 nests lost; 11 nests hatched
24 total chicks hatched; 15 unfledged chicks; 8 chicks lost; 1 fledged chickBodie Island:
2 active nest/0 hatched nests/3 nests lost
0 total chicks hatched; 0 unfledged chicks; 0 chicks lost; 0 fledged chicksGreen Island: 1 active nest/1 hatched nests/3 nests lost
2 total chicks hatched; unfledged chicks; 0 chicks lost; 0 fledged chicksHatteras Island:
Bodie/Hatteras District (south of Pea Island NWR- Ramp 30), 0 active nests/4 hatched nests/4 nests lost
9 total chicks hatched; 4 unfledged chicks; 5 chicks lost; 0 fledged chicksHatteras District (Ramp 30 – Hatteras Inlet), 2 active nests/5 hatched nests/3 nests lost
11 total chicks hatched; 7 unfledged chicks; 3 chicks lost; 1 fledged chickOcracoke Island:
0 active nests/1 hatched nest/3 nests lost
2 total chicks hatched; 2 unfledged chicks; 0 chicks lost; 0 fledged chicksThe National Park Service has reviewed the banding incident of June 22 that resulted in the death of an AMOY chick at Hatteras Inlet. The Park has determined the researcher was properly credentialed and followed the appropriate techniques in attempting to capture and band the chick. The death was determined as accidental. Permission for the researcher to band AMOYs has been reinstated, as the Park believes the benefits of continued banding of AMOYs on the Seashore outweigh the risks.
Colonial waterbirds:
Bodie Island:
A LETE colony established 1 mile south of Ramp 4. On 7/2 there were seven nests and one chick. There were also about 30 scrapes with fresh fox tracks in them and 15 eggshells. There is one COTE nest.
A Black Skimmer/Common Tern colony on the North end of Green Island has three two-egg nests, five one-egg nests, one three-egg nest and two COTE chicks. Four three-egg nests, one four-egg nest and one BLSK chick.Hatteras Island:
Bodie/Hatteras District (Pea Island - Ramp 30):
A LETE colony 2.1 miles South of Ramp 23 has nine one-egg nests, 13 two-egg nests, two three-egg nest, and 11 chicks.
A LETE colony 0.1 miles South of Ramp 27 has ~12 LETE and six chicks.
A LETE colony 0.3 miles South of Ramp 27 has 11 one-egg nests, 28 two-egg nests, two three-egg nests, 24 chicks, and about 70 birds.
A LETE colony, 0.9 miles North of Ramp 27 has eight chicks, and three one-egg nests.Hatteras District (Ramp 30 – Hatteras Inlet):
A LETE colony north of Ramp 34 has seven one-egg and 34 two-egg nests. There are also 35 chicks of various ages.
A LETE colony at Cape Point center has two nests and two chicks.
A LETE colony at Ramp 45 has two one-egg nests, five two-egg nests and two chicks.
A LETE colony 1.5 miles west of Ramp 45 has 17 incubating nests and 16 chicks that range from five to 15 days old.Ocracoke Island:
The main LETE colony on the ocean beach on South Point has seven incubating nests and three pairs with chicks.
A LETE subcolony in the central portion of the big flats has one visible chick.
A LETE subcolony on the South Point spit has three incubating pairs and two pairs with chicks.Sea Turtle Nests:
Nests this Week on CAHA: 11
Total Nests at CAHA: 51 (1 Bodie Island; 34 Hatteras Island; 16 Ocracoke Island)
Total False Crawls on CAHA: 50*1 Green nest; 50 Loggerhead nests
Marine Mammals (this week only):
A Sperm Whale was stranded alive on 6/30/08. The animal was first reported in Rodanthe, around 12 pm, but was still swimming on its own. At 4 pm the animal, still alive, stranded next to the Avon Pier. M. Baker and LE Staff arrived on scene and were able to stabilize the animal. Volunteers stepped in to help with the animal and interpretation. The decision was made to euthanize the 15-ft whale, but it died on its own at 6:15pm. A necropsy was preformed on 7/1/08 (at same location), by Dr. Ann Pabst (UNCW), NC State, VAQS, NCWRC, and NPS/CAHA. The necropsy revealed that the animal was a juvenile sperm whale, approximately 2-5 months old. Cause of death was most likely abandonment, and there was also evidence of systemic infection.Sea turtle Strandings (this week only):
No sea turtle strandings this week.Closures - additions/modifications/removals:
Closure # Location Species Date Installed/Removed
Hatteras Island
HI08-003-D Hatteras Inlet Spit AMOY 6/27/2008
HI08-011-R 1.2 mi S Ramp 55 AMOY 6/27/2008Closure intrusions since last report:
Bodie Island Hatteras Ocracoke
Violation type ORV Ped. Other ORV Ped. Other ORV Ped. Other
Bird closure 0 0 0 0 13 5a 0 2 0
Turtle closure 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 0 0 0 0 13 5 0 2 0a four dog intrusions and one bicycle intrusion
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