Suncoast Shorebird Partnership Meeting. March 5, Attendees

Transcription

1 Suncast Shrebird Partnership Meeting March 5, 2015 Attendees Judi Hpkins, St. Pete Audubn Mel Rllins, St. Pete Audubn Saskia Janes, St. Pete Audubn Dan Larremre, Flrida Park Service/DEP Natalie Leggette, City f Suth Pasadena Stephanie Cain, Blue Turtle Sciety Pam Leasure, Pinellas Cunty Park & Cnservatin Resurces Brendan O Cnnr, FWC Nancy Duglass, FWC Janell Brush, FWC Nami Avissar, FWC Ann Paul, Audubn Flrida Sid Crawfrd, Clearwater Audubn, FPS vlunteer Bb Luckner, Sarasta Audubn Catherine Luckner, Sarasta Audubn Keri Ferenc Nelsn, Sarasta Cunty Peter Plage, USFWS David Hpkins, Clearwater Audubn Marianne Krsy, Audubn Flrida Jhn Hd, Clearwater Audubn Beth Frys, Eckerd Cllege Amy Cliftn, FWC Lillian Kenney, Audubn/Hneymn Jyce Kleen, USFWS Nami, Flrida Shrebird Database update: - N changes t prtcl this year, database will pen n time (Mar 18) fr Webinars cming up and targeting rute surveys (Fri Mar 13) and site checks (Tues Mar 17) including stewarding and rftps - Main issues with data in FSD/FSA prtcl: A site is the lcatin f a shrebird nest r seabird clny, specific area t be prtected/psted & includes pre-nesting birds Survey frequency f rutes r rftps is at least 6 times per nesting seasn during each f the cunt windws. Weekly is better if pssible. Cunt windws defined in prtcl ( When yu find a new nest, take a GPS pint, infrm landwner/manager, reprt site in FSD if it hasn t been already

2 Reprt a site as pre-nesting/ptential nesting when yu see mating, curtship feeding, digging nest scrapes, and/r territrial behavir. Brken-wing displays and mbbing r dive-bmbing indicates an active nest/site. Yu find a SNPL nest in March and n surveys tk place until June when yu return. Adults are present but n eggs r chicks are present, reprted as N Lnger Active/N Lnger Pre-nesting. The final utcme is I dn t knw the utcme f this site. If the same slitary shrebird nest fails and re-nests nearby, d NOT give that nest site an Active status again. A new nest shuld be created fr each nesting attempt. When cnducting a nest cunt at a beach clny, it is imprtant t cunt incubating adults when they are settled n their nests. If tw peple are cunting, reprt the average. If ne persn cunting, cunt twice and take average. 205 ROYT nests are cunted directly, but yu can nly see half f the clny frm utside the psted area. Preferably, the best way t reprt yur nest cunt is t estimate 410 nests (duble the direct cunt yu culd see). Alternatively, yu culd als mark nests as Present and explain the details in the Cmments sectin but presence/absence is nt the preferred way t recrd active nest sites. Cunt types Direct = all nests and chicks cunted Estimate = direct cunt f prtin, then extraplated t entire area Present r Absent Did nt check (DNC) A dwny AMOY ut f its nest scrape, but still inside the psted area, fill ut Rving Shrebird Chick frm when in the nest scrape, put n Slitary nest frm. Chick can be tied back t natal nest n frm. Flight-capable juvenile seabirds are cngregated n the beach, yu wuld cmplete a Rving Chick Frm if they are ut f sight f their natal clny. If chicks are within sight f their natal clny, they are reprted as being at the clny/site. A rftp survey is cnducted where LETEs nested last year, but n birds are n the rf this seasn, recrd n nesting yet this year. Rftp bservatin frm the parking lt belw, 8 different LETEs land n the rf during a 15-min survey, recrd n the Rftp Nesting Frm a Flush Cunt f 8 adults. - Flrida Beaches Habitat Cnservatin Plan, Bb Luckner presented cmments n the draft FDEP & FWC develping statewide HCP t submit t USFWS fr Incidental Take Permit (ITP) Minimize and mitigate fr federal and state listed species thrugh Castal Cnstructin Cntrl Line (CCCL) permits seaward f the CCCL 100 yr strm line Currently in year 6 f develpment targeting finalizatin Current fcus n sand, dunes, and sea turtles inclusin fr PIPL, SNPL, LETE, WIPL, AMOY, BLSK HCP prvides fundatin fr lcatin specific prtectins in each future FDEP CCCL permit Valuable guidance fr lcal permitting What can we d? 2

3 Review draft chapters Ch 5: Cvered Species fcus n academic articles, public lands. Request use f up-t-date FSD (FSA database) & include data n private land use by BNB between wrack line and CCCL Wrk with lcal gvernements t enhance lcal input int HCP Bb wrte letter nting Siesta Key with SNPLs nt included in HCP Other steps? Nancy ntes discnnect. FWC develps mitigatin planning and estimates f impact and FSD IS being used. Rather than applying fr beach raking permits every time it is needed, this umbrella prcess/itp can be issued by FDEP/USFWS. Includes activities nt cvered under US Army Crps (i.e. shreline hardening). Currently FDEP is nly mandated t accunt fr sea turtles and n cnsideratin given t castal birds. This frce cnsideratin f federally and state listed species. - Black Skimmer Banding Prgram, Dr. Beth Frys, Marianne Krsy, Jhn Hd LETE banding prgram winding dwn because f increased deplyment f chick-fencing alng histric rftp sites and declining abundance f LETE nesting n rftps in Pinellas Cunty Increasing questins abut BLSK: Many chicks wander utside the psted area and we place them back inside. Why nt band these raming chicks? D the raming chicks fare better r wrse than thers? What abut rehabbed chicks survival? What happens t ur lder chicks, especially after weekends and busy hlidays? Yung chicks can be cunted in r near nests, but we dn t have gd survival inf n lder chicks. What if fledges have left clny r fledges frm ther clnies have cme in? Des this differ as the seasn ges n? Hw far d fledges mve during the breeding seasn? D skimmers stay in this area verwinter? Are there imprtant areas fr verwintering? Ultimately, where d they breed? Nt much published inf n BLSK, ne study in Panhandle fund that BLSKs mved far away during the winter, generally shifting suthward in winter mnths; i.e. banded in the Panhandle and re-sighted in Ft DeSt and Cedar Key. Methds: Capture lder chicks wh venture f ff clny r n margins Year 1 A00-A99 white n green band 2015, band chicks at 3 clnies: Indian Shres, Belleair Beach, and St. Pete Beach nce/week when chicks are ld enugh; vlunteer needed. Mnitring: 3 times per week and banded birds recrded. Walk 1 km n either side f clny t recrd banded skimmers. Later, all FSA surveyrs t lk fr banded birds. Infrmatin abut upcming plans/issues fr the breeding seasn: 3

4 - Jyce Kleen: Egmnt Key has beach renurishment prject ging n prbably fr next 5-6 weeks. Surveys dne a year in advance and after the prject, 2-3 surveys per mnth by staff nly (Jyce and Tm Watsn). Vlunteers are needed fr bird stewarding and invlves statining themselves at the clsed area sign lines and educating peple as t why they cannt g int the clsed area (because 38,000 pairs f birds are nesting). Cntact Jyce Galiard at galibird@tampabay.rr.cm t sign up. Jyce wuld crdinate transprtatin t Egmnt thrugh the FWS law enfrcement fficers r the Tampa Bay Ferry. - Jyce Kleen: Passage Key is back. Last seasn birds were nesting (at least 5 LETE n nests and 60 near tidal pl, 25 BLSK). Prblems with peple landing here and LE can t be there all the time. FWC LE has helped a lt. During winter surveys, many peple and dgs present. Vlunteers need their wn transprtatin t participate in surveys; lead nesting seasn surveys will be Dave and Barb Hward f Friends f Tampa Bay NWRs. - Kacy Ray: ABC prvides funds t Eckerd t hire anther technician t d surveys at Ft DeSt, St Pete Beach, etc - Belleair Beach- vegetatin has encrached in area where clny nested last year. Wait and see where the skimmer clny settles this summer. - Marianne Krsy: FWC & Audubn FL received funds t cntinue the 3 Rker bird stewardship prgram beginning May 1 st. FT seasnal bird steward crdinatr in Sarasta at Siesta, Lid, and Lngbat Keys. - Judi Hpkins & Saskia Janes: St Pete Audubn wrking stewardship at Ft DeSt and Indian Shres Saskia crdinates vlunteers at these sites, and smetimes at Belleair Beach. - Dan Larremre: 3 Rker is split in half nw s the rutes will be changed a bit fr Prepsting n S Anclte Key because it has accreted quite a bit. Ferry service frm Tarpn Springs has increased peple traffic here. Hneymn Island has renurishment ging n int April and habitat is nt cnducive right nw fr nesting, but will be afterwards. Currently, mnitrs befre renurishment starts each day. Predatr trapping n Caladesi and Hneymn raccns. Currently recruiting fr stewards this year (Jhn Hd). - Natalie Leggette: As the Supervisr f Hrticulture fr the City f Suth Pasadena she maintains an area n a seawall adjacent t the Barbara Gilberg Habitat. The area is ready fr beach nesting birds, Least Tern and Black Skimmer decys are in place alng with chick shelters. The electrnic fence has been activate t prevent terrestrial predatrs frm entering the area. There are sme issues with viewing the Oystercatches that nest n the building adjacent t the nesting area because the taller building nearby is under cnstructin. - Stephanie Cain: The sea turtle mnitrs fr St. Pete Beach, Pass-a-grille and Shell Key will cntinue t lk fr beach nesting birds. In particular they will wrk with Beth Frys in the event Black Skimmers nest at St. Pete Beach. - Pam Leasure: Shell Key s West Beachused t supprt LETEs and BLSKs ( ), but sandy areas are nw heavy public use areas r have grwn in. Wuld like t renegtiate the lcatin f the recreatin area (mve t vegetated area) t encurage nesting n remaining pen sand areas. - Bb and Catherine Luckner: Sarasta, Siesta Key renurishment f Lid Key ver the winter Sarasta Audubn did mnitring. Future plans fr grins and mre sand n Lid Key in the future via US Army Crps. Will d nrmal psting n S. Lid Beach and Siesta Key. Hping fr LETEs and BLSK n N. Siesta Key. Remval f Australian pines has reduced predatrs (crws). 4

5 Cunty has increased trash remval t reduce the crws as well. Engagement f cunty Sheriffs helps with dg issues and peple illegally driving n beach. SNPLs are scraping. - Keri Ferenc Nelsn: Updating management strategy fr SNPLs in Sarasta Cunty fr public areas. Hpe is t pen dr fr private landwner guidelines. Outreach ht tpic is dgs n Siesta Key ding dr hangers reiterating that dgs are nt allwed n the beach. Getting 1 st graders t help with design and deliver the hangers. Has 2 paid internships primarily fcusing n sea turtles. - Peter Plage: wrks with PIPL and REKN in Pinellas and Manatee Cunties, but wrk verlaps with breeding seasn. Wrking t increase use f beach by REKN. Cnducting year-rund surveys twice per mnth f shrebird species. Needs reliable surveyrs fr Lngbat Key. Nn-breeders face different types f disturbances cmpared t BNBs, but human disturbance is still #1 fr wintering birds. - Jhn Hd: Rftps, 3 Rker Bar, etc BUSY! - Amy Cliftn : please see signs and equipment n back table and take supplies - Nancy Duglass: Rger Yung, FWC LE prmted t reginal Cmmander (Majr Yung) and will spread the wrd abut shrebird prtectin. Beth wrking n prpsal fr crw predatin and nn-lethal remval/cntrl that will be funded by FWC. NFWF GEBF mney funding web develper psitin fr FSD, and an FSA Bilgist under Nami t imprve quality f data cllected. - Brendan O Cnnr: FWC vlunteer crdinatr fr SW FL, ffered assistance with vlunteer recruitment. - Ann Paul: Hillsbrugh Cunty: Lrraine Margesn mnitring birds at dredge spil island with Hlley Shrt n weekends. Rip rap n 3D via Army Crps cncerned b/c clse t AMOY pair and they are hazing birds nw. Nn-native trees remved n 3D. Apll Beach, AMOY habitat is limited by huses nw due t cnstructin f new hmes infilling vacant beach lts. Tampa Electric dredging Big Bend channel and determining where t put spil (3D vs 2D). 2D is preferred lcatin with least impact t birds, but this depends n hw fast permitting prcess is. Alafia Bank additinal breakwater installed ff Sunken Island where AMOY were successful. Dn t have permit fr West End yet. Oyster reef restratin is disappintment in Hillsbrugh Bay. Next meeting in September Beth Frys will send Ddle Pll. 5