Loading...
The URL can be used to link to this page
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Home
My WebLink
About
2014 End of Season Report Beach Nesting
! Town!of!Southold!–!Beach2Dependent!Bird! Species!Management!Program! NYS!DEC!Designated!Monitoring!Sites! ! Prepared'By:''Christine'Tylee'and'Aaron'Virgin' September!2014! ! ! '' '!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! “When!one!tugs!at!a!single!thing!in!nature,!he!finds!it!attached!to!the!rest!of!the!world.”!! –John!Muir!(1911)! ' 2! ! ' ' Acknowledgements' ! Group!for!the!East!End!(GFEE)!staffers!–!Christine!Tylee,!Stewardship!and!Program!Coordinator,!and!Alex! Goerler,!Biological!Intern,!Aaron!Virgin,!Vice!President!2!worked!tirelessly!monitoring!the!20!New!York!State! Department!of!Environmental!Conservation!(NYS!DEC)!designated!sites!across!Southold!Town!during!the! past!breeding!season.!!Without!their!strong!birding!skills!and!keen!observations,!this!report!would!not!be! possible.!!We!are!indebted!to!Barbara!Butterworth,!Carol!Coakley,!Tom!Damiani,!Bob!and!Carol!Gelling,!Rick! and!Linda!Kedenburg,!Kristina!Lange,!Bob!Maddalena,!Mary!Mulcahy,!Bev!Prentice,!John!Sepenoski,!and! Diana!van!Buren,!all!of!whom!contributed!sightings,!erected!string!fencing/exclosures,!or!taught!education! programs!to!local!students!and!scout!groups!during!the!2014!breeding!season.!!! ! Audubon’s!program!“For!the!Birds”!was!an!additional!joint!effort!taken!on!by!Diana!van!Buren!and!Group!for! the!East!End.!!Students!from!the!Cutchogue!East!Elementary!School!and!local!scout!groups!designed! informational!signs!to!post!at!confirmed!Piping!Plover!and!Least!Tern!breeding!sites.!!The!goal!of!the!project! was!to!have!students!learn!the!importance!of!threatened!species,!their!habitat,!and!why!we!are!protecting! them.!!The!other!intent!is!for!public!outreach.!!Adults!often!pay!more!attention!to!signs!when!they!are! created!by!children,!so!this!was!conducted!so!the!public!would!heed!the!messages!from!the!signs!collectively! 2!“Respect!Nesting!Shorebirds”,!“This!is!Our!Home!Too”,!!“Please!Do!Not!Scare!the!Birds”,!“No!Dogs!Allowed”,! “Piping!Plovers!are!Endangered”,!and!“Protect!the!Piping!Plover”.!!!In!conclusion,!the!primary!goal!will!be!to! continue!the!development!of!healthy,!long2term!relationships!with!students!and!scout!groups!–!the!next! generation!of!land!stewards!2!and!homeowners,!to!greatly!expand!conservation!and!full!protection!of!these! threatened!birds!in!the!future.! ! ! !!!!!! !Program'Background' ! The!following!is!a!site2by2site!summary!of!the!20!sites!monitored!by!Group!for!the!East!End,!in!partnership! with!North!Fork!Audubon!Society!(NFAS),!during!April!12!August!15,!2014.!!This!monitoring!program!was! initiated!by!NFAS!in!1996,!as!the!Endangered!Species!Program.!!Each!section!includes!site2specific! information!regarding!Piping!Plover!(PIPL)!habitat!suitability,!nesting!activity,!overall!productivity,!number! of!site!visits,!as!well!as!presence!of!Least!Tern!(LETE)!colonies.!!The!chief!goal!of!the!program!is!to!determine! overall!productivity!for!PIPL!and!LETE!and!relay!this!information!to!the!NYS!DEC!and!United!States!Fish!&! Wildlife!Service!(USFWS),!who!can!determine!the!overall!population!of!these!federally2protected!species!(In! NYS,!PIPL!listed!as!“Endangered”;!LETE!listed!as!“Threatened”).!! 3! ! Habitat'Suitability'Rating:' ! 1!!!!Ideal!habitat.!!Ample!beach!space!is!present!between!high!tide!mark!and!beginning!of!vegetation!and! valuable!foraging!grounds.! 2!Suitable!nesting!habitat.!!Some!human!disturbance!is!present;!ample!beach!space!above!the!high!tide! mark!and!valuable!foraging!grounds.!!! 3!Adequate!nesting!habitat!but!frequent!human!disturbance!and/or!predator!presence.!!Ample!beach! space!above!the!high!tide!mark!is!present,!but!other!factors!diminish!nesting!success.! 4!!Generally!unsuitable!habitat.!Significant!human!disturbance!and/or!predators!are!present.! Insufficient!area!above!high!tide!mark!for!nesting!and!some!suitable!foraging!habitat!is!present.!!! 5!Unsuitable!habitat.!Extreme!human!disturbance!and!predators!are!present.!No!beach!area!above!high! tide!mark!due!to!groins,!bulk!heading!or!periodic!flooding.!!! ! Productivity' !!Piping'Plovers!Total!number!of!pairs:!!13! !!!!Number!of!nest!attempts:!!14! !!!!Number!of!nests!that!hatched:!!14!!! Number!of!young!fledged:!!7! Number!of!young!fledged!per!pair:!!.54! !! Least'Terns!!Number!of!colonies:!!5! !!!!Number!of!nesting!pairs:!65! !!!!Number!of!young!fledged:!53! !!!!Number!of!young!fledged!per!pair:!.82!! ' ' Key'Notes'for'Stewardship'Program' ' • A!letter!should!be!mailed!out!to!homeowners!within!shorebird!nesting!habitat!prior!to!breeding! season!to!inform!them!that!there!is!potential!for!beach2nesting!birds!to!nest!on!their!property.!!The! letter!would!include!reasons!why!it’s!important!to!protect!these!threatened!birds,!their!status,! reasoning!behind!the!string!fencing!and!exclosures,!how!to!prevent!further!disturbance,!and!ways! they!can!help.!!This!letter!should!be!from!GFEE!shorebird!monitors,!signed!by!GFEE!President,! Southold!Town!Supervisor,!and!NYS!DEC!Senior!Wildlife!Biologist.!! ! • Increased!patrols!and!tickets!issued!from!Southold!Town!police!officers!for!unleashed!dogs!and!illegal! ATV!use!are!paramount,!as!they!both!pose!grave!threats!to!PIPL!and!LETE.!When!these!tickets!are! given,!the!PIPL!endangered!status!and!their!protection!should!be!referenced.! ! • GFEE!stewards!will!pre2fence!and!place!signage!at!as!many!public!and!private!beaches!as!possible! early!in!the!season,!based!on!the!site!recommendations!contained!in!this!report.!! ! • Dredging,!raking,!and!grading!of!any!of!the!20!potential!beach2nesting!areas!should!not!be!permitted! after!Memorial!Day!(June!through!August)!AND!must!have!sign2on!by!GFEE!stewardship!coordinator.!!!! ! • During!breeding!months,!GFEE!stewards!and!NFAS!volunteers!will!increase!the!presence!in!schools! teaching!children!about!plovers!and!terns,!and!by!taking!students!on!a!field!trip!to!the!beaches!where! the!birds!nest.!!If!early!on,!kids!make!a!connection!with!PIPL!and!LETE,!they!are!more!likely!to!protect! the!birds!and!preserve!their!habitat!for!future!generations.! 4! ! ! ' ' ' ' Site'Habitat' Suitability' Number'of' PIPL'Pairs' Number'of' PIPL'Nests' Total'PIPL' Fledglings' Size'of' LETE' Colony' Number' of'' Visits' Angel!Shores!5!0!0!0!0!3! Corey!Creek!Mouth!2!3!4!0!0!35! Cutchogue!Harbor! (Mud!Creek)!2!1!1!0!0!40! Cutchogue!Harbor!! (Meadow!Beach)!2!0!0!0!0!27! Downs!Creek!4!0!0!0!10!!!!!!!21! Goldsmith!Inlet!! (Inlet!West)!3!0!0!0!0!45! Goldsmith!Inlet! (Kenney’s!2!McCabe’s)!2!3!3!4!25!45! Goose!Creek!!! (Southold!Bay)!3!0!0!0!0!9! Gull!Pond!West!1!4!4!0!35!49! Hashamomuck!Beach!! (Town!Beach)!4!0!0!0!0!3! James!Creek!5!0!0!0!0!3! Jockey!Creek!! (Spoil!Island)!5!0!0!0!0!3! Kimogener!Point!! (West!Creek)!5!0!0!0!0!4! Little!Creek!2!0!0!0!0!27! Little!Hog!Neck!! (Nassau!Point)!4!0!0!0!0!8! Marratooka!Point! (Deep!Hole!Creek)!5!0!0!0!0!3! Mattituck!Inlet! (Breakwater!Beach)!1!2!2!3!35!51! Mattituck!Inlet!! (Baillie!Beach)!3!0!0!0!0!12! Port!of!Egypt!3!0!0!0!25!15! Richmond!Creek!3!0!0!0!0!14! 5! ! ' 2014'Site'Summaries'and'Recommendations' ' ' Angel'Shores' ! Comparable!to!the!past!few!years,!PIPL!and!LETE!were!not!observed!at!this!site.!!Lack!of!upper!beach!habitat! due!to!human!influence,!e.g.!heavy!machinery!and!bulkheads!(Fig.!1)!allows!limited!space!for!nesting! shorebirds.!!Other!disturbances!include!erosion,!steep!slope,!and!a!patch!of!the!invasive!Phragmites!(Fig.!2).!! There!is!a!thin!portion!of!potential!habitat!northwest!of!the!beach!entrance!(Fig.!3),!past!the!Phragmites.!! However,!the!cedar!trees!may!deter!nesting!shorebirds,!as!predators!can!use!this!area!as!cover!before! raiding!a!nest!or!group!of!young.! ! !!!!' '' Figs.&1(3&–&tractor&tracks&(top&left),&Phragmites&patch&(top&right),&and&potential&nesting&habitat&(bottom)& Recommendation!–!outreach!to!the!homeowner!to!limit!amount!of!lawn!fertilizer!and!irrigation,!which!is! directly!impacting!the!growth!and!spreading!of!Phragmites.!!Heavy!machinery!should!not!be!used!on!the! beach!at!any!point!during!the!breeding!season.!! ! 6! ! ! ! ! ' Corey'Creek'Mouth' !During!this!year’s!survey!period,!three!PIPL!pairs!were!observed!on!multiple!occasions!in!the!central!or! South!Harbor!Beach!section!(west!of!Corey!Creek!Mouth).!!This!site!featured!four!PIPL!nests!in!total,!but! three!of!the!four!were!predated,!while!the!other!was!abandoned!for!unknown!reasons.!The!first!two!nests! occurred!in!the!upper!beach!portion!on!private!property!and!were!surrounded!by!native!grasses!(Fig.!4).!! The!second!nest!was!exclosed!once!completed!at!four!eggs.!After!the!loss!of!the!first!two!nests,!a!PIPL!pair! continued!to!be!seen!in!this!location,!but!closer!to!shore!in!the!sandy!area!with!scattered!vegetation.!!At!this! location!another!pair!of!PIPL!laid!two!additional!nests.!!In!the!process!of!laying!their!first!nest,!it!was! predated!within!two!days.!!Raccoon!scat!was!found!next!to!this!nest,!which!indicates!it!was!the!likely! predator.!!The!fourth!and!final!nest!was!laid!approximately!25!ft!from!the!previous!and!was!predated!at! three!eggs.!!Sand!from!the!west!is!being!deposited,!therefore!creating!a!steep!shelf!where!the!groin!beneath! is!exposed!(Fig.!5).!!Birds!would!be!unable!to!climb!this!shelf!and!has!become!unsuitable!for!beach2nesting! birds.! ! No!PIPL!were!seen!on!the!remote!Takaposha!Shores!location!(east!of!Corey!Creek!Mouth)!during!the! breeding!season,!however!LETE!were!observed!foraging!on!many!visits.!!The!eastern!segment!of!Takaposha! Shores!is!sloped!and!erosion!has!occurred,!but!heading!west!provides!decent!upper!beach!habitat.!!This!is!a! popular!destination!for!beach!bathers,!kayakers,!boaters,!and!dog!walking,!so!the!viability!of!long2term! nesting!for!either!species,!coupled!with!natural!predators,!is!remote.!!!! ! !!!!!! Figs.&4&&&5(&nesting&area&(left),&and&shelf&created&from&deposited&sand&(right)& !Recommendation!–!as!noted!in!previous!reports,!this!site!should!be!split!into!two!areas!to!better!define! nesting!opportunities.!!This!is!very!important!when!developing!a!dredge!management!plan!for!Corey!Creek.!! Potential!names!are:!Corey!Creek!West!(South!Harbor!Beach)!and!Corey!Creek!East!(Takaposha!Shores).!! Also,!due!to!the!steady!influx!of!visitors!throughout!the!breeding!season,!this!site!would!benefit!from!having! informational!signs!and!pre2fencing!prior!to!April!1.!!There!has!been!an!issue!with!unleashed!dogs!at!the!site,! most!notably!South!Harbor!Beach,!so!it!is!recommended!that!the!town!leashed!dog!sign!should!be!moved!and! positioned!directly!at!the!South!Harbor!walkway!entrance.!!Monitoring!this!beach!at!night,!knowing!that! many!predators!are!nocturnal,!may!help!stewards!gain!a!better!sense!of!the!predators!of!PIPL!nests!and! young.! 7! ! ! ' Cutchogue'Harbor'(Mud'Creek)' ! Despite!the!fact!that!this!private!beach!has!a!considerable!amount!of!disturbance!from!beachgoers,!boaters,! and!dog2walkers,!a!pair!of!PIPL!nested!along!Haywater!Beach!in!June.!!Adjacent!to!Mud!Creek!on!the! southeastern!portion!of!beach,!the!PIPL!pair!successfully!laid!a!complete!four2egg!nest!(Fig.!6).!!Historically,! PIPL!have!not!nested!here,!most!likely!because!of!the!strong!influence!of!pedestrians!and!homes!within!the! bird’s!habitat!(Fig.!7).!!While!the!eggs!were!protected!by!the!aid!of!an!exclosure,!towards!the!end!of!the! incubation!period!one!adult!was!no!longer!seen!on!daily!site!visits.!!Less!than!a!week!after!the!nest!hatched,! all!four!chicks!were!not!observed!during!the!breeding!season.!!Presence!of!a!red!fox,!reported!by!a! homeowner,!may!be!the!culprit.!!Other!causes!of!death!may!have!been!from!the!loafing!predatory!gulls!and! crows!or!from!the!heavy!rainfall!the!first!week!of!July.!!! ! During!survey!periods!on!the!western!section!of!Mud!Creek,!PIPL!and!LETE!were!seen!foraging,!but!neither! attempted!to!nest.!!This!site!faces!a!decline!in!habitat!quality!due!to!its!steeply!sloped!nature,!recurring! flooding,!erosion!and!human!development!resulting!in!a!loss!of!nesting!area.!!Breeding!PIPL!require!a!larger! buffer!between!the!upper!beach!and!housing!than!what!is!currently!in!existence.!! ! !!!!!!!!!!! !!! & Figs.&6&&&7(&map&of&nest&location&(top),&and&string&fencing,&and&exclosure&(below)& ! Recommendation+2!of!note,!many!of!the!adjacent!homeowners!were!enthusiastic!about!the!PIPL!breeding!in! their!“backyard”.!!This!site!should!be!pre2fenced!in!future!years,!as!this!would!inform!the!public!about!the! potential!presence!of!breeding!beach2nesting!birds.!Increased!outreach!to!homeowners!should!continue.!! 8! ! ' Cutchogue'Harbor'(Meadow'Beach)' !Known!as!Meadow!Beach!due!to!the!extensive,!remote!salt!marsh!meadow!present,!the!area!has!been!a!very! good!breeding!site!(Fig.!8).!PIPL!and!LETE!were!noted!on!a!few!occasions,!but!no!signs!of!nesting!activity! were!observed.!!Flooding!of!the!low2lying!site!has!been!problematic!in!the!past,!which!resulted!in!the! complete!breeding!loss!of!the!LETE!colony!in!2011!and!2012.!!Another!disturbance!was!the!presence!of! approximately!50!loafing!Great!Black2backed!Gulls,!of!which!are!predators!of!PIPL!and!LETE!chicks.!!With!the! loss!of!two!nests!last!year!coupled!with!the!few!disturbance’s!currently!at!Meadow!Beach,!breeding!birds! may!have!felt!threatened!and!fled!to!find!another,!more!suitable!location.!!The!closest!new!site!to!Meadow! Beach!where!PIPL!settled!was!across!the!harbor!at!Mud!Creek!(see!previous!site!summary).!This!may!have! been!a!pair!that!was!previously!seen!at!Meadow!Beach.!!As!the!summer!progressed,!the!site!was!a!popular! stopover!for!post2breeding!plovers!and!other!shorebirds!migrating!through!the!area.! ! !!Fig.&8–&isolated&Meadow&Beach' + Recommendation,+string!fencing!of!potential!nesting!habitat!should!be!done!much!earlier!in!the!season!to! keep!pedestrians!out.!!Placement!of!dredge!material!in!the!upper!beach!at!the!end!of!the!peninsula!will! enhance!habitat!and!help!prevent!the!severity!of!flooding.!!! ' ' Downs'Creek' !After!Hurricane!Sandy!in!2012,!the!beach!at!Downs!Creek!changed!slightly!as!sand!had!been!deposited! within!a!502ft!wide!section!east!of!the!osprey!pole.!Throughout!the!season,!many!transient!birds!were! observed!foraging!here,!one!of!which!was!an!individual!PIPL.!Unlike!last!year,!multiple!LETE!nests!were!laid! beginning!in!early!June!and!the!area!was!fenced!off!(Fig.!9).!None!of!the!eggs!hatched!due!to!a!fox!in!the! vicinity!or!from!flooding.!Construction!of!a!home,!kayakers,!and!beach!walkers!continued!to!be!a!disturbance.! ! !!!!!! Fig.&9&–&marginal&nesting&habitat&where&least&terns&nested' ! Recommendation2!this!site!should!be!pre2fenced!with!signage!earlier!in!the!season.! 9! ! ' ' Goldsmith'Inlet'(Inlet'West)' ! A!single!PIPL!pair!has!nested!here!consistently!in!previous!years,!but!no!breeding!was!detected!in!2014.!!The! birds!have!historically!nested!on!the!dredge!material!adjacent!to!the!parking!lot!(Fig.!10).!This!spring,!prior! to!string!fencing!of!the!site,!large!tire!depressions!were!observed!in!the!area.!In!mid2May,!the!site!was!fenced! to!encourage!PIPL!activity!while!preventing!vehicles!from!further!entering.!!This!beach!draws!in!a!crowd!of! beach!bathers,!dog!walkers,!and!fishermen,!which!all!may!contribute!to!a!lack!of!nesting!by!PIPL!and!LETE.!! In!past!years,!PIPL!adults!would!lead!the!young!to!the!more!secluded!western!part!of!this!site.!!This!is!an! indication!that!PIPL!were!well!aware!of!the!many!human!activities!happening!at!this!beach.!!The!loss!of! breeding!PIPL!at!Inlet!West!was!most!likely!due!to!human!encroachment,!but!if!the!protective!measures! continue,!and!recommendations!are!adhered!to,!the!birds!may!return.!!! ! & Fig.&10–&dredge&material&at&Goldsmith&Inlet&(Inlet&West)' Recommendation+–!there!is!an!emergency!entrance/road!west!of!the!dredge!material!where!PIPL!have! previously!nested.!!Non2emergency!vehicles!have!driven!down!this!road;!therefore!a!more!noticeable!sign! should!be!posted!stating!that!the!road!is!for!emergency!vehicles!only.!!Driving!on!the!section!where!dredge! material!was!placed!should!not!be!allowed!throughout!the!breeding!season.!!Signs!from!the!town!should! indicate!this.!!Garbage!in!the!parking!lot!was!another!major!disturbance!because!it!attracts!PIPL!predators.!! Garbage!pickup!should!occur!more!regularly,!and/or!place!additional!garbage!cans!with!lids!on!site!or!invest! in!solar!compactors!that!alleviate!the!need!to!pick!up!garbage!as!frequently.!! ! ! Goldsmith'Inlet'(Kenney’sTMcCabe’s)! ' Of!the!20!nesting!PIPL!sites!in!2014,!the!most!successful!was!Kenney’s!Beach!(Figs.!11!&!12).!!Three!PIPL! pairs!nested!with!a!total!of!11!eggs,!and!four!chicks!fledged.!!Threats!include!popular!beach!bathing! destination,!predation!(crows,!raccoons,!gulls,!rodents),!unleashed!dogs,!and!flooding.!!Due!to!the!presence!of! many!predators,!these!nests!were!exclosed!immediately.!!The!first!nest!was!closer!to!the!public!portion!of! Kenney’s!beach,!with!four!eggs!and!eventually!fledged!two!young.!!The!second!pair!was!further!east,!with! three!eggs,!and!fledged!one!young.!!The!second!PIPL!pair!most!likely!made!a!first!nest!attempt,!but!the!nest! was!never!located!until!the!three2egg!nest!was!laid!in!mid2May.!!Second!attempts!rarely!have!a!clutch!of!four! eggs!because!of!the!physical!constraints,!e.g.!calcium!to!produce!the!eggshell!in!the!female.!!The!third!and! final!pair!laid!four!eggs!close!to!the!second!pair,!approximately!50!feet!to!the!east.!!They!fledged!one!chick.!!In! total,!the!three!pairs,!who!laid!11!eggs,!only!fledged!four!young.!!Comparatively,!in!2013!the!single!pair!of! PIPL!laid!four!eggs!and!fledged!all!four!with!a!productivity!of!1.!!Seven!PIPL!chicks!were!lost!at!Kenney’s2! 10! ! ' Goldsmith'Inlet'(Kenney’sTMcCabe’s)'T'continued! ! McCabe’s!beach!this!year!and!it!can!be!concluded!that!these!birds!struggled!more!this!breeding!season!than! last.!!This!most!likely!was!due!to!harsh!weather!conditions!and!predators.!!! ! In!addition,!some!homeowners!did!not!favor!the!prolonged!string!fencing!period.!!The!fencing!was!on!their! property!until!late!August!because!LETE!colonized!this!beach!around!the!time!PIPL!eggs!had!hatched.!! Homeowners!complained!that!the!terns!were!very!noisy!and!“attacked”!them!when!they!“dive!bombed”!their! heads.!!While!no!LETE!young!were!recorded!in!previous!years,!they!were!successful!in!fledging!15!young!in! 2014.!!A!homeowner!had!hired!people!to!rake!the!beach!on!their!property!surrounding!the!string2fenced! area!(Fig.!12).!!There!were!garbage!cans!around!the!perimeter!of!the!fence,!causing!the!adult!PIPL!to!leave! their!eggs!unattended!for!the!time!being.!!Lastly,!one!of!our!large!yellow!interpretive!PIPL!signs!at!the!public! beach!entrance!was!stolen.!!This!was!the!first!act!of!vandalism!at!one!of!our!sites!in!three!years.!!! ' ! !!!!!!!! Figs.&11&&&12&–&Kenney’s&Beach&string&fence&(left)&and&raking&of&beach&by&homeowner&(right)! !Recommendation!–!One!homeowner!had!asked,!“can!we!just!pick!up!and!move!their![least!tern]!eggs?”!!This! alone!shows!that!many!people!are!unaware!of!the!needs!of!these!birds,!their!status,!why!string!fencing!and! exclosures!are!employed,!and!what!to!do!or!not!to!do!if!a!PIPL!or!LETE!is!encountered.!!In!the!future,!an! informative!letter!and!a!fact!sheet!on!PIPL!and!LETE!will!be!distributed!to!all!homeowners!with!property!at! this!site.! ! Another!major!disturbance!occurred!when!the!Town!Department!of!Public!Works!decided!to!grade!the! public!sections!of!Kenney’s!and!McCabe’s!beaches!in!mid2June.!!As!many!as!five!PIPL!chicks!had!hatched!a! week!prior!and!were!observed!foraging!along!the!shore.!!Unable!to!fly!yet,!these!small,!precocial!birds!could! have!easily!been!struck!by!a!large!piece!of!machinery,!resulting!in!death.!In!order!for!the!grading!to!occur,!a! dedicated!plover!steward!was!needed!to!stand!guard!between!the!grader!and!chicks!to!the!east,!as!they! foraged!along!shore.!!In!short,!the!beach!should!not!be!leveled!during!crucial!breeding!season,!and!if!it!is! needed!must!occur!prior!to!chicks!hatching.!Any!grading!is!recommended!before!late!May!(no!later!than! Memorial!Day)!AND!only!if!no!PIPL!young!are!present.!!!! ! 11! ! ! ! 'Goose'Creek'(Southold'Bay)' !Though!this!beach!contains!adequate!nesting!habitat,!it!is!a!favored!site!among!beachgoers.!!The!parking!lot! behind!the!beach!entrance!consistently!has!incoming!cars!and!pedestrians.!!These!are!a!few!reasons!why! PIPL!and!LETE!tend!to!avoid!nesting!here.!!!! ! !! Fig.&13(&area&to&plant&beach&grasses& ! Recommendation–!birds!would!benefit!from!signage!displayed!and!pre2fencing!of!the!upper!beach!to!mark!off! good!nesting!habitat.!!Increased!public!outreach!at!this!site!would!help!educate!visitors!on!the!monitoring! efforts!and!protective!measures!in!place!for!beach2nesting!birds.!!Placement!of!barriers!adjacent!to!the! parking!lot!should!still!be!considered!in!order!to!prohibit!off2road!vehicles!from!accessing!the!beach.!!Though! there!are!large!patches!of!beach!grass!at!this!site,!planting!additional!grasses!could!provide!more!nesting! habitat!as!it!aids!in!better!protection!from!predators!(Fig.!13).!! ! ! Gull'Pond'West' !In!past!years,!this!beach!proved!to!be!the!most!productive!of!the!20!sites!monitored.!!Unfortunately,!no!PIPL! young!fledged!in!2014.!!Although!this!year!Gull!Pond!West!had!the!most!number!of!pairs,!four,!with!four!nest! attempts!total.!!The!first!nest!of!the!season!was!located!in!late!April!but!predated!shortly!after!the!first!egg! was!laid.!!!Believed!to!be!a!second!pair!made!a!four2egg!nest!in!mid2May!and!was!exclosed.!!Three!of!the!four! eggs!hatched!and!the!young!were!not!observed!again,!although!the!breeding!pair!was!observed!for!several! weeks.!!The!presence!of!predators!(gulls,!crows,!fox,!raccoons,!rodents)!in!this!area!makes!it!extremely! difficult!for!chicks!to!survive,!especially!within!those!first!few!hours!of!life.!!Other!threats!to!this!beach! include!flooding!of!the!back!portion!of!the!upper!beach!to!the!west,!dog!walking,!and!human!disturbances! from!homeowners!(Fig.!14!&!15).!!The!third!nest!was!laid!approximately!50!feet!west!of!the!third!nest,!with! four!eggs.!!This!nest!was!exclosed!as!well.!!A!strange!occurrence!took!place!within!this!nest,!where!the!PIPL! pair!continued!to!incubate!the!four!eggs!for!up!to!65!days.!!It!is!likely!that!the!first!nest!hatched!and!failed,! then!the!female!re2nested!with!four!eggs!in!the!exact!location.!!When!the!eggs!had!not!hatched!by!mid2July,! the!adult!PIPL!pair!abandoned!their!nest,!leaving!the!eggs!behind.!!The!fourth!and!final!pair!nested!in!! vegetation,!which!was!principally!comprised!of!seaside!goldenrod.!!Due!to!the!significant!amount!of! 12! ! Gull'Pond'West'T'continued! ! goldenrod!at!the!nest!site,!the!area!was!not!exclosed.!!The!four!eggs!survived!until!hatching,!but!once!again! all!four!chicks!disappeared!within!hours.!!Although!the!PIPL!pairs!had!a!difficult!time!in!rearing!young!at!Gull! Pond,!the!LETE!population!was!larger!and!more!successful!this!year,!with!approximately!35!nesting!birds.!! The!extreme!high!tides,!and!subsequent!normal!high!tides!have!proved!challenging!in!years!past,!but!for! 2014,!LETE!fledged!10!young.!! ! !!!!!Fig.&14&&&15(&human&disturbances&were&too&close&to&nesting&habitat& ! Recommendation2!though!these!homeowners!seem!to!be!accepting!of!PIPL!and!LETE!breeding!on!this!beach,! there!continues!to!be!occasional!disturbance.!!For!example,!there!was!a!fire2pit!on!the!beach,!chairs!leaning! against!the!string!fence!posts,!wood!piled!up!next!to!the!string!fencing!entrance,!mini!decorative!flags!near! fencing,!and!two!boats!docked!on!the!sand!just!outside!of!the!string!fence.!Alone!these!can!all!be!described!as! minor!disturbances!but!when!collectively!held!can!be!quite!caustic!to!beach2nesting!birds.!!Further!action! working!with!homeowners!on!these!disturbances!is!needed.!!!!!! ' 'Hashamomuck'Beach'(Town'Beach)' ! The!beach!replenishment!and!erosion!control!measures!put!in!place!by!the!town!has!helped!this!beach!over! the!past!few!years.!However,!the!sand!adjacent!to!the!parking!lot!at!this!beach!is!slowly!being!eroded!once! again.!!There!is!a!steep!slope!that!would!prohibit!any!young!bird!from!accessing!the!upper!beach!because!of! the!uneven!level!of!sand!coupled!with!their!inability!to!fly!(Fig.!16).!!Along!with!erosion,!other!disturbances! at!Town!Beach!include!gulls,!dog!walking,!beachgoers,!and!lack!of!upper!beach!habitat!(Figs.!17!&!18).!In! addition,!there!is!a!population!of!approximately!60!gull!species!(Herring,!Great!Black2backed,!Ring2billed)! that!inhabit!this!beach!year2round.!!This!mixed!gull!colony!is!intimidating!to!breeding!and!foraging!PIPL!and! LETE!because!these!gulls!are!responsible!for!failed!nests!and!predation!of!chicks.!!!! ! !!!!!!& &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Figs.&16(18(&disturbances&at&Town&Beach&! ! Recommendation+2!Town!Beach!should!have!better!signage!concerning!“take!out!what!you!bring!in”.!! ! 13! ! !James'Creek' ! Beach2nesting!birds!will!not!nest!at!this!site!due!to!the!abundance!of!bulkheads!and!groins!present!(Fig.19!&! 20).!!Both!diminish!the!quality!of!upper!beach!habitat,!thereby!resulting!in!a!lack!of!PIPL!and!LETE! observations!in!recent!years.!Groins!as!well!as!bulkheads!have!scalloped!any!viable!nesting!habitat!to!the! east!of!the!creek’s!mouth,!and!bulkheads!are!present!on!the!western!portion!of!the!creek.!!At!high!tide,!most! of!this!beach!is!inaccessible!because!the!water!rushes!up!to!the!bulkheads,!leaving!no!space!for!walking.!! Therefore!any!opportunity!for!nesting!is!lost.!!! ! Recommendation!–!this!site!should!be!removed!from!the!list!of!NYS!DEC!sites!to!be!monitored,!but!included! in!the!annual!dredge!site!habitat!assessment!report!for!Southold!Town.!!Being!that!these!homeowners!live! directly!on!the!beach,!their!fertilizer/pesticide!use!should!be!closely!monitored!to!prevent!runoff!from! entering!and!negatively!impacting!the!bay.!!! !! !!!!! &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Figs.&19&&&20&–&bulkheads&and&groins&greatly&diminish&potential&breeding&habitat&! ! ! 'Jockey'Creek'(Spoil'Island)' !This!site!has!not!been!occupied!by!PIPL!or!LETE!in!recent!years!mainly!because!Jockey!Creek!lacks!upper! beach!habitat!(Fig.!21).!!The!peninsula!is!dominated!by!woody!vegetation!and!the!small!section!of!exposed! beach!is!frequently!flooded!at!high!tide.!!Additionally,!the!site!is!a!popular!destination!for!small!craft!boaters,! swimmers!from!the!neighboring!Goose!Creek!Beach,!the!occasional!fisherman,!and!transient!Canada!geese.!! Construction!of!a!home!has!caused!disturbance!as!well!(Fig.!22).!Though!other!birds!and!wildlife!have! benefited!from!visiting!this!site,!all!said!activity!on!a!small!island!is!not!conducive!to!PIPL!and!LETE.!! ! !!!!!!!! Figure&21&&&22&–&woody&vegetation&should&be&removed&(left)&and&house&construction&(right)' Recommendation–!to!attract!nesting!shorebirds,!the!upland!woody!vegetation!on!the!peninsula!must!be! removed!and!dredge!material!added.!!Once!deposited,!beach!grass!and!goldenrod!should!be!planted.!!! 14! ! ! ' Kimogener'Point'(West'Creek)' ! Loafing!LETE!were!observed!foraging!at!this!site,!however,!no!breeding!activity!took!place.!!This!site!features! many!disturbances!such!as!bulkheads,!groins!(see!Figs.!23!&!24),!boat!traffic!and!lack!of!any!upper!beach! habitat!due!to!housing.!!These!factors!limit!the!amount!of!suitable!nesting!areas,!particularly!on!the!eastern! side!of!West!Creek!(see!Figs.!25!&!26).!!In!addition,!the!eastern!side!of!West!Creek!is!a!popular!location!for! crows,!gulls,!and!beachgoers,!making!it!difficult!for!breeding!PIPL!and!LETE!to!establish!nest!sites.!!Just!east! of!the!bulkhead!in!the!inlet,!the!beach!is!beginning!to!erode,!creating!a!gradual!slope,!which!is!very!difficult! for!PIPL!and!LETE!chicks!to!navigate!once!hatched!(Figure!24).!! ! ! !!!! !!!! Figure&23(26&–&groins&and&housing&(top&left),&erosion&of&shoreline&(top&right),&potential&nesting&habitat&and&beach&grass&planting&site&&&&&& (bottom&left&&&right)& Recommendation!–!while!this!site!is!no!longer!viable!as!a!nesting!location!for!PIPL!and!LETE,!it!should!be! monitored!as!a!potential!dredge!site,!as!West!Creek!is!an!active!navigable!waterway!for!small!watercraft.!! Planting!of!additional!beach!grass!plugs!may!prove!to!be!beneficial!to!PIPL!and!LETE!(Figs.!25226).!!! ! ! Little'Creek' ! In!past!years,!nesting!on!dredge!material!at!the!northern!side!of!Little!Creek,!where!extensive!private! property!and!town2owned!land!abounds,!had!been!a!favored!and!successful!breeding!site!(Fig.!27).!!!! 15! ! ! Little'Creek'T'continued' ! Going!back!an!additional!five!years,!both!PIPL!and!LETE!nested!on!the!southern!side!of!the!inlet.!However,! this!breeding!season,!neither!PIPL!nor!LETE!nested!at!either!location!(Fig.!27).!!Early!in!the!season,!at!least! two!PIPL!were!observed!on!multiple!occasions.!!Sometimes!as!an!individual!bird!and!less!frequently!as!a! pair,!but!no!nest!or!eggs!were!discovered.!!Though!this!beach!is!fairly!secluded,!a!barge!carrying!construction! material!had!passed!through!this!creek!many!times.!!Also,!a!stand!of!Common!Reed!(Phragmites)!is! beginning!to!greatly!expand!and!colonize!an!area!where!a!PIPL!pair!nested!in!2012.!!Rhizomes!are!growing! in!the!upper!beach,!creating!a!thick!patch!of!vegetation!within!some!of!the!existing!native!plants!(Fig.!28).!! ! The!South!Side!of!Little!Creek,!which!is!also!the!public!beach!access!point,!continues!to!narrow!and!lessen!in! size,!leaving!very!little!nesting!habitat!above!high!tide!for!PIPL!and!LETE!(Fig.!29).!In!recent!years,!nor!PIPL! and/or!LETE!attempted!to!nest!due!to!the!marginal!habitat!of!a!shrinking!beach!and!other!disturbances.!!If! these!birds!were!to!nest,!it!would!most!likely!get!washed!out!because!there!is!no!buffer!to!protect!them!from! rising!tides.!Not!only!are!the!birds!suffering!from!habitat!loss,!they!compete!with!beachgoers!to!find!a!prime! nesting!sites.!!The!swings,!bathroom,!and!volleyball!nets!are!within!the!upper!beach2nesting!habitat,!leaving! little!space!for!PIPL!and!LETE.!! ! &' !!!!!!!! Figs.&27(29&–&past&PIPL&nest&sites&(top),&remove&Phragmites&patch&(bottom&left),&and&where&to&plant&beach&grasses&(bottom&right)& Recommendation,+string!fencing!should!be!assembled!early!on!in!the!season!on!both!beaches!to!allot!enough! space!for!shorebirds!to!forage!and/or!nest.!!Interpretive!signs!for!PIPL!and!LETE!should!be!posted!at!both! the!public!and!private!sections!of!the!beach!because!of!the!frequent!visitors!and!unleashed!dogs.!!!On!the! private!section!of!Little!Creek,!the!Phragmites!should!be!removed!(Fig.!27)!and/or!additional!dredge! material!should!be!placed!here!to!prevent!further!damage!from!invasive!species.!Beach!grass!and!other! native!vegetation!should!be!planted!adjacent!to!the!paved!area!(Fig.!28).!!!! Past!PIPL!nesting!areas! 16! ! ! Little'Hog'Neck'(Nassau'Point)! The!lack!of!upper!beach!habitat,!the!high!tide!levels,!weather!conditions!(wind),!open!exposure!to!the!bay! and!elements,!bulkheads,!and!presence!of!predators!make!this!site!inhospitable!to!breeding!PIPL!and!LETE.!! Many!transient!shorebirds!visit!the!southern!tip!of!this!site!to!forage!(Fig.!30),!but!neither!PIPL!nor!LETE! have!attempted!to!nest.!!Despite!this,!a!larger!section!of!upper!beach!habitat!exists!north!of!the!beach!access! point!(Fig.!31).!!Across!the!inlet!is!a!small!strip!of!beach!that!may!prove!to!be!suitable!for!breeding!activity!in! the!near!future!as!dredge!material!has!recently!been!distributed!here.!!! !! !!!! Figs.&30&&&31(&narrow&peninsula&of&Little&Hog&Neck&(left)&and&potential&nesting&habitat&(right)& ! Recommendation,!set!up!string!fencing!on!the!section!where!dredge!material!was!placed!in!2014.! ! ! Marratooka'Point'(Deep'Hole'Creek)' ! The!multiple!groins!and!the!presence!of!a!dozen!or!so!beach!homes!close!to!the!high!tide!mark!interferes! with!what!would!be!important!nesting!habitat!(Fig.!32).!!Although!other!shorebirds!have!been!observed! foraging!here,!the!site!has!not!been!occupied!by!nesting!PIPL!or!LETE!in!recent!years.!!! ! !! Fig.&32(&housing,&groins,&and&beach&bathers& ! Recommendation!–!this!site!should!continue!to!be!monitored!as!a!dredge!site.!!! ! 17! ! ' Mattituck'Inlet'(Baillie'Beach)' ! Unlike!neighboring!Breakwater!Beach,!no!PIPL!or!LETE!nested!at!Baillie!Beach!this!season,!which!is!keeping! with!previous!years.!!Following!the!Army!Corps!of!Engineers!massive!dredging!project!(see!Figs.!33!&!34!for! comparison),!the!material!placed!on!Baillie!Beach!seemed!promising!for!beach2nesting!birds.!!This!was!not! the!case.!Unleashed!dogs!continue!to!be!an!issue!and!most!likely!have!something!to!do!with!the!lack!of!PIPL! activity.!!LETE!from!the!Breakwater!Beach!colony!visit!this!site!to!forage!and!loaf.!!!! !Recommendation!–!tickets!should!be!issued!to!prevent!the!recurring!issue!of!unleashed!dogs!on!the!beach.!! ! !(3/12)!!!!(6/14)! ! Fig.'33'&'34'–'preT'and'postTdredging'of'Baillie'Beach,'Mattituck! ! ! Mattituck'Inlet'(Breakwater'Beach)' ' Breakwater!Beach!ranked!high!on!the!productivity!level,!fledging!the!only!other!three!PIPL!chicks!(the!other! four!at!Kenney’s!Beach).!These!were!the!only!two!beaches!that!had!successfully!fledged!young,!even!though! birds!nested!on!a!total!of!five!beaches!(out!of!20!town2wide).!!This!site!has!always!been!one!of!the!best! breeding!sites!due!to!the!extensive!breeding!and!foraging!habitat!present.!This!year,!two!four2egg!nests!were! discovered!in!late!May,!and!exclosed!quickly!to!avoid!predation!by!the!large!population!of!gulls!and!crows!at! this!site.!!Also,!the!LETE!colony!returned!and!had!a!successful!outcome.!!Their!productivity!was!not!as!high!as! last!year,!but!at!the!end!of!the!season!approximately!30!chicks!fledged.!!Another!major!disturbance!took! place!this!season;!rocks!were!piled!on!top!of!the!netting!of!the!exclosure!(Fig.!35).!!This!could!have!posed!a! threat!to!the!birds!if!the!nest!was!still!being!incubated,!but!luckily!at!the!time!this!vandalism!occurred,!the! eggs!had!already!hatched.!! ! !!!!!!!!!!! Figs.&35&&&36&(&rocks&sit&on&top&of&exclosure&netting&(left),&and&tire&tracks&from&illegal&ATV&use&(right)& ! + 18! ! + Mattituck'Inlet'(Breakwater'Beach)'T'continued' + Recommendation!–!beach!clean2ups!should!be!scheduled!more!frequently,!especially!prior!to!the!breeding! season!in!April.!!Increased!policing!and!enforcement!of!the!Town’s!law!on!ATV!use!on!public!beaches!is! sorely!needed.!!There!were!multiple!eyewitness!accounts!of!vehicles!being!driven!on!the!bluffs!to!the!west! (Fig.!36).!!Law!enforcement!could!prevent!this!in!the!future!and!NYS!DEC!must!step!up!patrols.! ' 'Port'of'Egypt' ! This!barrier!island!is!largely!inhabited!by!a!large!colony!of!Great!Black2backed!Gulls!(GBBG),!with!a!total!of! approximately!40!pairs!and!65!young!observed!in!2014!(see!Fig.!37).!!The!site!features!sections!of!suitable! nesting!habitat,!and!little!disturbance!from!humans.!!However,!the!GBBG!colony!alone!is!enough!to!prevent! PIPL!from!nesting!here.!!LETE!were!successful!and!maintained!a!colony!of!about!25!nests,!and!a!total!of!13! fledged!young.!!Of!interest!was!a!pair!of!American!Oystercatcher!(AMOY)!that!nested!and!fledged!three! young!by!mid2July.!!A!pair!of!Common!Tern!(COTE)!nested!but!it!is!unknown!whether!the!two!young!fledged.!!! ! ! !!!!Figure&37&(&nest&sites&for&LETE,&AMOY,&and&GBBG& ! Recommendation–!though!LETE,!AMOY,!and!COTE!nested!in!2014,!these!birds,!along!with!PIPL!would!benefit! from!the!reduction!of!the!GBBG!colony.!!The!terns!and!AMOY!were!frantic!anytime!a!GBBG!came!close!to! their!nest!or!young.!!This!small!island!also!contains!one!Osprey!platform!in!the!center.!!An!adult!Osprey! began!making!a!nest!early!in!the!breeding!season,!but!it!was!soon!taken!over!by!a!GBBG!pair.!!!! ! ! ! Richmond'Creek! ! Although!this!beach!does!not!contain!groins!or!bulkheads,!there!are!still!other!disturbances,!such!as!beach! bathing,!dog!walking!and!boating,!and!PIPL!and!LETE!did!not!nest!once!again.!!The!upper!beach!habitat!is! slightly!sloped!and!heavily!vegetated!which!is!not!beneficial!for!either,!but!the!remainder!of!Richmond!Creek! and!the!marsh!provides!decent!foraging!habitat!for!loafing!birds!(Figure!38).!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! Least!tern!colony!! American! oystercatcher! nest! Great!blackA backed!gull!colony! 19! ! ! ! ! ! Richmond'Creek'T'continued' !! !!!! Figure&38&&&39(&natural&slope&(left)&and&potential&nesting&area&and&placement&of&dredge&material&(right)& ! Recommendation–!placement!of!dredge!material!west!of!the!vegetation!(see!Fig.!39)!will!improve!nest! habitat.!!