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Least Tern Project info
2011
Season
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2010
Least Tern & Snowy Plover Project
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| May
24 - Natural
Preserve News |
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We
have some help — it's Lana Meade, our new Environmental
Scientist for the District. She has worked here before, did
a stint in Santa Cruz, and is back in Orange County. She has
experience with birds, but most recently with Marbled Murrelets,
California Gnatcatchers, and Cactus Wrens. She is getting
a great re-introduction with our colony by spending two days
digging sand off of the wind fence and making sure the chick
fence is intact.
There has been one of the three-egg nests predated near the
middle of the colony. I suspect some of the bold crows, and
we depend on your sharp eyes to see if there is a predatory
trigger to the numerous up-flights. The colony appears nervous
and ready to defend the 300 nests we have now.
Monitoring days are scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays. So,
if you happen to see the monitors at work, thank them, and
maybe you can get some of the most current counts and feedback.
We have seen some great close up pictures come out already.
Besides the few bold crows observed, there have been two reports
of peregrines. We see several Great Blue Herons in the inland
palms, and a group of starlings get dive bombed, yet continue
to forage inside the Preserve.
Lastly, Lana found a second dead adult Least Tern in the colony
today, and it was taken to the Wetlands and Wildlife Care
Center for analysis. We would like to know how it died, but
this is always tough to prove. CSI- tern preserve?
—David
Pryor
Environmental Scientist
949-497-1421
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