Washington State Snowy Plover Population Survey and Leadbetter Point Nesting Season Monitoring and Management Report - 2021

During the 2021 western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) nesting season, we counted the number of nesting adult snowy plovers at potential breeding sites in Washington and, to a limited extent, monitored breeding phenology, nest success, and fledging success at Leadbetter Point. Demographic monitoring has been suspended at Midway Beach and funding limitations reduced monitoring efforts at Graveyard Spit. Surveys were conducted by Cyndie Sundstrom, William Ritchie, and Larissa Ritzman, with assistance from Anthony Novack, Warren Michaelis, Derek Stinson, Richard Ashley, and others. Management activities included restricting human access to nesting sites, predator management, and restoring nesting habitat. The following is a summary of some of our 2021 activities and results:

Breeding Phenology 

• Clutches at Leadbetter Point and Long Beach were initiated between 15 May and early July. Some early nests may have gone undiscovered because nest searching did not start until early May. Some late nesting could also have been missed since survey effort was limited after late July.
• Due to staffing limitations, we were unable to effectively monitor nest success at Leadbetter Point to determine whether any chicks fledged. However, several broods of hatch year chicks were observed late in the breeding season.

Breeding Range 

• We conducted 22 breeding surveys at nine sites in two counties between 16 May and 19 June 2021 either to assess site occupancy status or to count the total number of adults.
• Snowy plovers were found to be nesting at Copalis Spit, Conner Creek, Midway Beach, Graveyard Spit, Leadbetter Point, and Long Beach.

Number of Breeding Adults 

• The mean 2021 Washington breeding adult population was 97 (Range: 92-101), an increase of four birds from the 93 counted in 2019, the most recent year with a complete survey of all sites. Breeding adults were observed at Copalis Spit, Conner Creek, Midway Beach, Graveyard Spit, Leadbetter Point, and Long Beach.
• From 2006-2009 the Washington snowy plover population declined annually and precipitously.
• From 2009-2012, the adult breeding population was stable at around 31-36 birds. Since 2013, the population has more than doubled.

Nest success 

• A total of 26 nests were discovered and monitored to a limited extent at Copalis Spit, Conner Creek, Midway Beach, Graveyard Spit, Leadbetter Point, and Long Beach.
• Two (33%) of the six nests found at Leadbetter Point/Long Beach hatched, while two additional unassigned broods were observed. Three nests failed, most likely lost to predation, and two of the nests had an undetermined fate. Nests found at both sites in Grays Harbor County and at Midway Beach failed. Information on the fate of nests at Graveyard Spit was unavailable.
• After a steady four-year decline in nest failure due to predation, avian predators have been the primary source of nest failure during the past two years. However, without intensive nest searching and monitoring at multiple sites, we do not have a full understanding of change in predation rates.

Fledging Success 

• Due to staffing limitations, we were unable to determine whether any chicks fledged this season. The average number of chicks fledged per male has not been estimated since 2018.

Management Actions 

• Nest Site Protection: In an effort to protect nests from human activities, approximately 8.0 miles of beach at Leadbetter Point and approximately 2.7 miles of publicly owned (Washington State Parks Seashore Conservation Area) beach at Midway Beach were signed to restrict human access to critical nesting areas. Signs and symbolic fencing were also installed at Graveyard Spit, and for the first time, at Griffiths Priday State Park.
• Clam tides: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife coordinated most law enforcement activities, especially during clam tides. Washington State Parks and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided additional law enforcement patrols.
  • Long Beach: There was no recreational razor clam digging during the snowy plover breeding season. The 53 days approved for razor clam harvesting occurred during the last three months of 2021.
  • Midway Beach: Only fall razor clam harvesting, totaling 62 days, was authorized.
  • Graveyard Spit: There was no razor clam harvesting.
  • Copalis/Conner Creek: Tribal razor clamming occurred on five days in June. There was a total of 33 days each for tribal and non-treaty recreational clamming occurring in fall 2021.
• Outreach: Willapa NWR social media posts and website content included information about snowy plovers at Leadbetter Point.
• Predator Management: Wildlife specialists with USDA APHIS Wildlife Services conducted limited predator management at Leadbetter Point and Midway Beach in 2021. Management actions were initiated in late June and concluded in July. Predator management consisted of dispersing birds or performing targeted lethal removal of known nest and chick predators (corvids) in or adjacent to plover nesting areas. Results suggest that these actions are successful in increasing hatching and fledging rates.
• Emergency Response: The FV/Terry F was salvaged from Leadbetter Point after running aground in February.
• Habitat Restoration:
  • Thirty acres on the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge at Leadbetter Point were cleared of Ammophila beachgrass using a bulldozer and disk prior to the start of the breeding season.
  • An additional 118 acres of previously cleared beach was also disked to reduce the density of resprouting beachgrass on the Refuge.
  • Oystershell hash was applied to 50 m² (0.1 ac) in the southern portion of the HRA.