Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Resource Management Field Summary for May 6 – May 12, 2010
(Bodie, Hatteras and Ocracoke Districts)
Piping Plover (PIPL) Observations:
|
Observations |
Thurs 5/6 |
Fri 5/7 |
Sat 5/8 |
Sun 5/9 |
Mon 5/10 |
Tues 5/11 |
Weds 5/12 |
|
Oregon Inlet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cape Point |
4 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
4 |
1 |
|
South Beach |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
|
Hatteras Inlet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Hatteras Overwash |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
N. Ocracoke |
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
|
S. Ocracoke |
3 |
6 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
Bodie District:
Bodie Island: PIPLs have not been observed this week. No breeding activity was observed.
Hatteras District:
Cape Point: Up to 7 PIPLs have been observed at one time. Six pairs have nests. There is an active scrape territory, but it has not yet been determined if it is maintained by a paired male.
South Beach: Two lone male PIPL have been observed. Both are maintaining scrape territories.
Hatteras Overwash/Hatteras Inlet: No PIPL have been observed.
Other Beaches: One to two PIPL have been observed foraging at the ponds near Ramp 43.
Ocracoke District:
North Ocracoke: Up to five PIPLs have been observed foraging and/or roosting. Throughout the week PIPLs were observed on the oceanside and inlet shorelines, all within closures.
South Point: Up to six PIPLs have been observed along the inlet and oceanside shorelines, as well as within the mudflats. Three pairs have had documented nests. Two nests were lost and one four-egg nest remains.
A new one-egg nest was found on 5/10 but we are uncertain as to whether it is a Wilson’s plover or PIPL nest. As of 5/12 it was still a one-egg nest and no birds were observed in the vicinity of the nest to enable us to confirm species.
PIPL Breeding Summary:
|
Total Nests to Date |
Active Nests |
Total Nests Hatched |
Total Nests Lost |
Total Eggs Hatched |
Unfledged Chicks |
Lost Chicks |
Fledged Chicks |
|
9 |
7 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Nest Summary/Expected hatch dates:
Nest 1 – Cape Point. This nest was exclosed as a three-egg nest on 4/17 and was a four-egg nest on 4/19. Hatching should occur on or near 5/14.
Nest 2 – Cape Point. This nest was discovered as a two-egg nest on 4/15, exclosed as a three-egg nest on 4/18, and was a four-egg nest on 4/20. Hatching should occur on or near 5/15.
Nest 3 – Cape Point. This nest was discovered as a two-egg nest on 4/22, exclosed as a three-egg nest on 4/24, and was a four-egg nest on 4/27. Hatching should occur on or near 5/15.
Nest 4 – Cape Point. This nest was discovered as a two-egg nest on 4/22, exclosed as a three-egg nest on 4/24, and was a four-egg nest on 4/27. Hatching should occur on or near 5/20.
Nest 5 – Cape Point. This nest was discovered as a one-egg nest on 4/22, exclosed as a three-egg nest on 4/28, and was a four-egg nest on 4/30. Hatching should occur on or near 5/23.
Nest 6 – Cape Point. This nest was discovered as a two-egg nest on 4/22, exclosed as a four-egg nest on 4/27. Hatching should occur on or near 5/21.
Nest 7 – South Point. This nest was discovered as a one-egg nest on 4/28. On 5/2 the egg(s) were predated by ghost crabs. It is unknown whether the nest was a two-egg or three- egg clutch when predated.
Nest 8 – South Point. This nest was discovered as a one-egg nest on 4/28. Since the pair was incubating, the nest was exclosed as a two-egg nest on 5/2. One egg was predated by a ghost crab on 5/4. The one remaining egg was abandoned on 5/5 and predated by a ghost crab on 5/7.
Nest 9 – South Point. This nest was discovered as a one-egg nest on 5/4, exclosed as a three-egg nest on 5/8, and was a four egg nest on 5/12. Hatching should occur on or near 6/3.
WIPL Update:
No WIPLs observed this week.
American Oystercatchers (AMOY): Pairs continue to be observed on scrape territories in all districts.
|
Location |
Total Nests to Date |
Active Nests |
Nests Hatched |
Nests Lost |
Total Chicks Hatched |
Unfledged Chicks |
Chicks Lost |
Fledged Chicks |
|
Green Island |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Bodie District |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Bodie/Hatteras District |
4 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Hatteras District |
10 |
9 |
1* |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ocracoke District |
4 |
4 |
0 |
0** |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
CAHA TOTALS |
21 |
18 |
1* |
2** |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
*Partial hatch. As of 5/12 one of three eggs in the clutch had hatched.
**This number differs from last week’s report due to a clutch continuation from an AMOY pair that lost the first two eggs of their clutch.
2010 AMOY Breeding Pairs: Twenty confirmed breeding pairs of AMOYs have been documented this year. One pair has re-nested after losing its three-egg clutch. Five “potential” pairs, for which scraping and breeding have been observed, are being closely monitored. An additional “potential” pair is on Green Island, but we have not been able to access the island since 4/30 to conduct surveys.
Bodie District:
- Green Island: Surveys were not conducted this week.
- Bodie Island: A one-egg AMOY re-nest was found on 5/11.
- Bodie/Hatteras District (Rodanthe to Ramp 30): Four breeding pairs have nests (two two-egg and two three-egg). The first nest should hatch on or near 5/14.
Hatteras District: 10 breeding pairs have nests (Seven three-egg, two two-egg, one hatching) and there are at least two more pairs are on scrape territories. The first nest of the year hatched on 5/12 (one chick and two pipped eggs in process of hatching) with incubation/brooding continuing at last observation.
Ocracoke District:
- North Ocracoke: Two pairs are occupying North Ocracoke. One pair has a three-egg nest. The other pair has documented scrapes around the area of Ramp 59.
- Other Beaches (Ramp 59-Ramp 72): Two breeding pairs have three-egg nests. The first nest should hatch on or around 5/14. A new AMOY pair was documented copulating and scraping on 5/9, 5/10, and 5/11. No nest has been documented for this pair yet.
- South Point: Two pairs of AMOYs are occupying the area south of Ramp 72. One pair is scraping on the east side of the pre-nesting closure. The other pair had lost two eggs due to weather (one on 4/29 and another on 5/2), but now is incubating a two egg nest (clutch-continuation) on the east side of South Point.
Colonial Waterbirds (CWB):
Bodie District:
Colony BIC01- 0.8 mi S of Ramp 4 active with LETE scrapes.
Bodie Hatteras District:
Colony BHC01- 0.1 mi N of Ramp 23 to 0.2 mi S of Ramp 23 active with LETE scrapes.
Colony BHC02- 0.2 mi S of Ramp 27 active with LETE scrapes.
Colony BHC03- 2.7 mi N of Ramp 27 active with LETE scrapes.
Colony BHC04- 0.1 mi N of Ramp 27 active with LETE scrapes.
Colony BHC05- 1.0 mi N of Ramp 27 active with LETE scrapes.
Hatteras District:
Colony HIC01 - 1.5 mi S of Ramp 38 active with LETE nests and scrapes.
Colony HIC02 - 0.6 mi W of Ramp 45 active with LETE nests and scrapes.
Ocracoke District:
Colony OIC01- 0.9 mi S of Ramp 72 active with LETE nests and scrapes.
Colony OIC02- 0.1 mi N of Ramp 59 active with LETE scrapes.
Colony OIC02-A- 0.8 mi N of Ramp 59 active with LETE scrapes.
Sea turtle nests: None
Sea Turtle Strandings:
Bodie District:
- None
Hatteras District:
- 5/9 – A dead, moderately decomposed, Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle was found 1.0 mile SW of Ramp 45.
Ocracoke District:
- 5/12- A dead, moderately decomposed, female loggerhead sea turtle was found 0.1 miles S of Ramp 68.
- 5/12 –A dead, moderately decomposed Kemp’s Ridley was found 0.1 miles S of Ramp 67.
Marine Mammals:
Bodie District:
- 5/12- A dead, severely decomposed dolphin was found 0.7 miles S of Ramp 1.
Hatteras District:
None this week
Ocracoke District:
- 5/9 – A dead, female, moderately decomposed neonate bottlenose dolphin was found 0.3 miles N of Ramp 59.
Closures – additions/modifications/removals:
|
Closure # |
Location |
Species |
Date Installed or Removed |
|
Bodie District |
|
|
|
|
BH10-003 |
Ramp 23 |
LETE |
5/7/2010 |
|
BI10-001-B |
0.9 mi S of Ramp 4 |
LETE |
5/9/2010 |
|
BH10-003-A |
Ramp 23 |
LETE |
5/9/2010 |
|
BH10-004 |
2.7 mi N of Ramp 27 |
LETE |
5/9/2010 |
|
BI10-001-C |
0.9 mi S of Ramp 4 |
AMOY |
5/11/2010 |
|
BH10-001-C |
0.08 mi S of Ramp 27 |
LETE |
5/11/2010 |
|
BH10-005 |
0.07 mi N of Ramp 27 |
LETE |
5/11/2010 |
|
BH10-006 |
1.0 mi N of Ramp 27 |
LETE |
5/11/2010 |
|
Hatteras District |
|
|
|
|
HI10-008-B |
1.6 mi S of Ramp 38 |
AMOY/LETE |
5/8/2010 |
|
HI10-009-R |
1.3 mi S of Ramp 30 |
AMOY |
5/11/2010-removed |
|
HI10-011 |
0.8 mi S of Ramp 38 |
AMOY |
5/11/2010 |
|
HI10-007-C |
1 mi N of Buxton Village |
AMOY |
5/12/2010 |
|
Ocracoke District |
|
|
|
|
OI10-002-E |
1.8 mi S of Ramp 72 |
AMOY |
5/6/2010 |
|
OI10-006 |
1.5 mi NE of Ramp 67 |
AMOY |
5/9/2010 |
|
OI10-006-A |
1.1 mi NE of Ramp 67 |
AMOY |
5/10/2010 |
|
OI10-006-B |
0.5 mi NE of Ramp 67 |
AMOY |
5/11/2010 |
|
OI10-007 |
0.3 mi SW of Ramp 68 |
AMOY |
5/11/2010 |
Closure intrusions:
Bodie District:
5/9- A dog was observed within the LETE closure at Ramp 23, chasing sanderlings. The dog returned to owner and both left.
Hatteras District:
5/11 – A pedestrian was observed in the closure N of Buxton walking north.
5/12 – Pedestrian tracks were observed in the S end of the Ramp 43-Ramp 44 AMOY closure.
Ocracoke District:
5/11 – A jogger ran through an AMOY closure toward technicians that were observing a different pair of AMOYs. The jogger was contacted and asked to leave the closure.
