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Home My WebLink About2011 Dredge Site Habitat AssessmentDREDGE SITE HABITAT ASSESSMENT 2011 North Fork Audubon Society The North Fork Audubon Society, with permission from the Town of Southold, has assessed the habitat quality at a number of future dredge sites. The objective is to determine whether future dredge sites contain suitable nesting habitat for NYS endangered and threatened species such as the Piping Plover and Least Tern. The following qualities of each site were taken into account when making the final determination of habitat quality: *Amount of sandy beach area above the high tide mark *Estimate as to whether the site contains suitable nesting and or foraging habitat *Proximity to homes and/or recreational areas *Presence or absence of Piping Plovers and/or Least Terns in recent years The following sites were visited and evaluated based on the above factors: 1. Brushes Creek 9 . Little Creek 2. Cedar Beach Creek 10. Mud Creek 3. Corey Creek 11. Richmond Creek 4. Deep Hole Creek 12. School House Creek 5. Goldsmith’s Inlet 13. Sterling Harbor 6. Goose Creek 14. Town Creek 7. Halls Creek 15. West Creek 8. James Creek 16. Wickham Creek Site Suitable Nesting Habitat Suitable Foraging Habitat Nesting Piping Plovers in Recent Years Nesting Least Terns in Recent Years Brushes Creek * Cedar Beach Creek * * * * Corey Creek * * * * Deep Hole Creek * Goldsmith’s Inlet * * * * Goose Creek * * Halls Creek * James Creek * Little Creek * * * * Mud Creek * Richmond Creek * * * * School House Creek * Sterling Harbor * Town Creek * West Creek * Wickham Creek * Brushes Creek: Does not contain suitable nesting habitat for piping plovers or least terns. Has not been occupied by piping plovers or least terns in recent years. Specifics: Both sides of Brushes Creek are bulk-headed, allowing very little open beach space above the high tide mark. The western side has no foraging or nesting habitat, while the east side contains some suitable foraging habitat. Cedar Beach Creek: Contains ideal nesting and foraging habitat for piping plovers and least terns. Specifics: The eastern side of Cedar Beach Creek contains ideal nesting and foraging habitat. It is managed by Suffolk County and has served as the nesting site for piping plovers and least terns in recent years. The western side is bulk-headed and contains no suitable nesting habitat. Corey Creek: Contains suitable and foraging habitat for piping plovers and least terns. Was occupied by one pair of nesting piping plovers in 2011. Specifics: Corey Creek contains highly suitable nesting and foraging habitat on both the east and west sides of the creek. Least terns attempted nesting on the east side of the creek mouth in 2010 but were predated by fox. Deep Hole Creek: Does not contain suitable nesting habitat for piping plovers or least terns. Has not been occupied by piping plovers or least terns in recent years. Specifics: Deep Hole Creek does not contain any suitable nesting habitat because all available beach area is covered with groins. What little beach area above the high tide mark exists is immediately adjacent to beach homes and therefore an unlikely nesting site in the future. Goldsmith’s Inlet: Contains ideal nesting and foraging habitat for piping plovers and least terns. Three plover nests (Goldsmith’s Inlet, Kenny’s Beach and McCabe’s Beach) were found in 2011. Specifics: The beach surrounding Goldsmith’s Inlet is ideal nesting and foraging habitat because it contains a significant amount of open beach area above the high tide mark. No least terns nested in 2011. Goose Creek: Contains suitable nesting and foraging habitat for piping plovers and least terns. Has not been occupied by either species in recent years. Specifics: Goose Creek contains suitable nesting and foraging habitat, but despite this, has not been an active nesting site for many years due to heavy use by people. Halls Creek: Contains no suitable nesting habitat but contains foraging habitat for piping plovers and least terns. Has not been occupied by either species in recent years. Specifics: Halls Creek has no nesting habitat. It is an unlikely future nesting site, but a likely foraging site for migrant birds. James Creek: Contains no nesting but some foraging habitat for piping plovers and least terns. Has not been occupied by either species in recent years. Specifics: James Creek contains no nesting habitat. It is an unlikely future nesting site, but a possible foraging site for migrant birds. Little Creek: Contains ideal nesting and foraging habitat for piping plovers and least terns on both sides of the creek mouth, but beach erosion has minimized upper beach nesting habitat. Specifics: Was occupied by one pair of piping plover and a least tern colony in 2011, both on the south side of the creek mouth. Tidal flooding claimed nests of both species. Mud Creek: Contains marginally suitable nesting but has good foraging habitat for piping plovers. Has not been occupied by either species in recent years. This site is in close proximity to Meadow Beach, an active tern and plover nesting area. Specifics: Mud Creek possesses a significant area of open beach above the high tide mark, despite this, it has not been occupied by piping plovers or least terns in recent years. Richmond Creek: Contains ideal nesting and foraging habitat for piping plovers and least terns. Specifics: Richmond Creek contains a significant area of open beach above the high tide mark, making it a highly suitable nesting habitat on both sides of the creek. Neither plovers or terns nested in 2011. School House Creek: Does not contain suitable nesting habitat for piping plovers or least terns. Specifics: Has not been occupied by piping plovers or least terns in recent years. This site is in close proximity to Meadow Beach, an active tern and plover nesting area. Specifics: Due to the fact that all available beach area surrounding School House Creek is covered in groins, it contains no suitable nesting habitat for piping plovers or least terns. It could potentially serve as suitable foraging habitat for transient birds. Sterling Harbor: Does not contain suitable nesting habitat for piping plovers or least terns. Has not been occupied by piping plovers or least terns in recent years. This site is close proximity to Gull Pond, an active tern and plover nesting area. Specifics: Sterling Harbor is almost completely covered in vegetation above the high tide mark, making it an unsuitable nesting site. However, it is a potential foraging site. Town Creek: Does not contain suitable nesting habitat for piping plovers or least terns. Has not been occupied by piping plovers or least terns in recent years. Specifics: Town Creek contains almost no open beach area above the high tide mark, and therefore does not contain suitable nesting habitat. It does, however, serve as foraging habitat for transient least terns. No piping plovers have been seen at this site in recent years. West Creek: Does not contain suitable nesting habitat for piping plovers or least terns. Has not been occupied by piping plovers or least terns in recent years. Specifics: West Creek does not contain a significant area of open beach above the high tide mark, and therefore does not serve as suitable nesting habitat. It is very likely a highly suitable foraging site for transient birds. Wickham Creek: Contains no suitable nesting but some foraging habitat for piping plovers and least terns. Was not occupied by either species in recent years. This site is in close proximity to Meadow Beach, an active tern and plover nesting area. Specifics: Wickham Creek contains no suitable nesting habitat, and is an unlikely future nesting site for piping plovers and least terns. It is very likely a foraging site for transient birds throughout the nesting season.