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2002 the ARDEID 2002 Research and Resource Management at Audubon Canyon Ranch Ardeidthe ◗ Heron and egret nesting colonies disturbance patterns ◗ Invasive Spartina marsh protection ◗ Acorns and ecosystems oak woodland restoration ◗ A management challenge raven predation ◗ Sudden Oak Death understanding impacts 2002 the ARDEID 2002 In this issue A Safe Place to Nest: Disturbance patterns in heronries ◗ by John P. Kelly ........................page 1 Invasive Spartina: The challenging changeling ◗ by Katie Etienne........................................page 4 Acorns and Ecosystems: Fourteen years of oak woodland restoration at the Bouverie Preserve ◗ by Rebecca Anderson-Jones ................................................................................page 6 Resistible Forces? Raven predation in heronries ◗ by John P. Kelly ......................................page 8 Sudden Oak Death Understanding the impact of a new epidemic on our forests and woodlands ◗ by Daniel Gluesenkamp................................................................................page 10 In Progress: Project updates ◗ ................................................................................................page 13 Cover photo: Great Blue Heron by Philip L. Greene ◗ Ardeid masthead Great Blue Heron ink wash painting by Claudia Chapline Audubon Canyon Ranch The Watch Research and Resource The following list includes ACR field observers and habitat restoration Management volunteers since the previous Ardeid. Please call (415) 663-8203 if your name should have been included in this list. Executive Staff Skip Schwartz, Executive Director PROJECT CLASSIFICATIONS: John Petersen, Associate Director B = Breeding Bird Study at Bouverie Preserve N C = Common Raven Study N Yvonne Pierce, Administrative Director H = Heron/Egret Project N M = Livermore Marsh Monitoring N N = Newt N N N Staff Biologists Survey P = Photo Points R = Habitat Restoration S = Tomales Bay Shorebird Project N W = Tomales Bay Waterbird Census John Kelly, Ph.D., Director, Research & Resource Management Dawn Adams (HS); Sarah Allen (S); Jennie (H); Art Magill (R); Lyn Magill (R); Roger Rebecca Anderson-Jones, Bouverie Preserve Anderson (H); Marie Anderson (R); Marlowe (W); Chris Mc Auliffe (H); Pat Katie Etienne, Research Coordinator Christina Attwood (R); Audubon Canyon Mclorie (N); Diane Merrill (H); Mike Ranch - Bouverie Preserve Juniper Club George (R); Frank Herrick (R); Hannah Daniel Gluesenkamp, Ph.D., Habitat Protection and (N); Autodesk employees (R); Bob Baez Hindley (R); Stuart Hindley (R); Nita Hon Restoration Specialist (SW); Norah Bain (H); Michele Baker (R); (R); Jim Hubberts (R); Leena Ilmarines (R); Gwen Heistand, Bolinas Lagoon Preserve Sharon Bale (R); Melissa Banks (S); Tom Barbara Janis (R); Rosemary Jepson (R); Art Land Stewards Baty (W); Anne Baxter (H); Caitlin Bean Magill (R); Lyn Magill (R); Roberta Maran (W); Gordon Bennett (S); J. Bjork (S); (R); Sandy Martensen (R); Bill Masters (R); Bill Arthur, Bolinas Lagoon Preserve Louise Bielfelt (N); Gay Bishop (HS); Sara Diane McLure (R); JoAnne Meroney (R); David Greene, Tomales Bay properties Blauman (H); Mike Blick (R); Julie Peter Meyerhof (R); Jean Miller (H); James John Martin, Bouverie Preserve Blumenthal (W); Len Blumin (R); Patti Miramontez (R); Anne Murphy (H); Dan Blumin (HR); Ellen Blustein (M); Noelle Murphy (W); Karen Nagle (BH); Wally Field Biologists Bon (HN); Janet Bosshard (HS); Phillip Neville (H); Terry Nordbye (S); Gordon Ellen Blustein Bowman (R); Emily Brockman (HSW); Nunnaly (R); John O’ Connell (H); Nathan Farnau Janet Bruno (R); Ken Burton (W); Denise Brandon Orr (R); Julie Osborn-Shaw (R); Cadman (H); David Cain (R); Pam Cain (R); Peggy Osterhamp (R); Mari Ortwerth (HS); Lauren Hammack Barbara Carlson (N); Bill Carlson (N); Kate Richard Panzer (H); Patagonia employees Mark McCaustland Carolan (S); Mike Caselli (R); Ann Cassidy (R); Joelle Peebles (R); James Peebles (R); Mari Ortwerth (H); Dave Chalk (R); Roberta Chan (R); Kathy Peterlein (S); Myrlee Potosnak (H); Marie Claire Chapman (R); Steve Cochrane Grace Pratt (N); Jorge Presser (S); Nancy Research Associates (R); Carole Connell (H); Jaye Cook (S); Phil Proctor (R); Clark Rector’s Boy Scout Troop Jules Evens Cordle (R); Cynthia Corn (R); Helen (R); Jeff Reichel (H); Linda Reichel (H); Grant Fletcher Cravens (R); Catherine Cumberland (R); Jerry Ricard (R); Lucy Ricard (R); Robin Rachel Kamman Rig Currie (S); Nancy Dakin (R); Karen Richard (R); Rudi Richardson (W); Cheryl Davis (H); Melissa Davis (HS); Nick Riley (H); John Risberg (R); Sally Risberg Flora Maclise Degenhardt (H); Nancy DeSousa (R); (R); Brian Roberts (R); Barbara Rosen (R); Helen Pratt Carolyn Dixon (H); Roberta Downey (R); Glenda Ross (R); Liz Ruellan (R); Ellen Rich Stallcup Joe Drennan (W); David Easton (H); April Sabine (HS); Don Sanders (H); Marilyn Resource Management Associates Eberhardt (R); Ronnie Estelle (S); Serge Sanders (H); Fran Scarlett (H); Marie Etienne (HS); Cathy Evangelista (H); Jules Schabroeck (R); Elisabeth Schlosser (R); Len Blumin Evens (SW); Nathan Farnau (HSW); Katie John Sciocchetti (R); Craig Scott (SW); Roberta Downey Fehring (SW); David Ferrera (W); Binny Sierra Club “Outings” (R); Paul Skaj (W); Fischer (H); Grant Fletcher (HPSW); Ginny Joe Smith (HW); Craig Solin (S); Betsy Scientific Advisory Panel Fletcher (HPS); Johina Forder (R); Carol Spann (R); Anne Spencer (S); Rich Sarah Allen, Ph.D. Fraker (H); Jamie Freymuth (R); Audrey Stallcup (S); Jean Starkweather (H); Peter Connors, Ph.D. Fry (R); Randy Fry (R); Tony Gilbert (HSW); Elizabeth Stephens (S); Michael Stevenson Jules Evens Keith Gish (H); Beryl Glitz (H); Dohn Glitz (SW); Sandy Stoddard (R); Ron Storey (H); (H); Ellen Goldstone (N); ) Brindy Greene Grace Svitec (R); Cathleen Swanson (R); Kent Julin, Ph.D. (W); Philip Greene (H); Lauren Hammack Lowell Sykes (HSW); Judy Temko (HS); Greg Kamman (M); Madelon Halpern (H); Diane Hichwa Janet Thiessen (H); Gil Thomson (H); Rachel Kamman (BHS); Philip Hughes (H); Jeri Jacobson Dodie Thomson (H); James Titus (N); Sue Chris Kjeldsen, Ph.D. (H); Gail Kabat (W); Lynnette Kahn (HS); Tredick (H); John Trott (R); Norma Vite (R); Patty Karlin (H); Carol Keiper (SW); Marion Tanis Walters (HS); Sarah Warnock (S); Sue Doug Oman, Ph.D. Kirby (N); Richard Kirschman (SW); Ellen Weingarten (R); Eric Eisenberg (R); Heather Helen Pratt Krebs (H); Carol Kuelper (S); Alexis Lee (H); White (H); Rosilyn White (W); Tom White W. David Shuford Laura Leek (W); Gail Lester (W); Keith (W); Diane Williams (S); Phyllis Williams Rich Stallcup Lester (W); Robin Leong (H); Eileen Libby (H); Ken Wilson (HW); Jon Winter (H); Wesley W. Weathers, Ph.D. (H); Eric Lichtwardt (HS); Flora Maclise Rollye Wiskerson (H); Angie Wolfow (H). 2002 the ARDEID page 1 Disturbance patterns in heronries A Safe Place to Nest by John P. Kelly Table 1. Types of human or other disturbances observed or inferred at northern San Francisco Bay area heronries, 1990-2001. Rainstorm Windstorm Power line interference Building construction Fence construction Removal of nest tree(s) Removal of nests Tree trimming or chipping Logging and tractor activity Firecrackers Army helicopter Hot-air balloon Spraying nests with garden hose Reflective (Mylar) ribbons as deterrents Shooting with 22 caliber rifle Skeet shooting Car doors slamming Trucks in area Interested human visitor Incidental human activity Investigator disturbance PHILIP L. GREENE Dog n explosion of flapping wings proximity to people, and direct intrusion Domestic or feral cat breaks the quiet morning air at and indirect disturbance caused by Common Raven A ACR’s Picher Canyon. The herons human activities have resulted in adverse American Crow ascend quickly into the air, circling, necks impacts on nesting. Red-tailed Hawk extended. Some land in nearby trees Since 1990, ACR’s regional Heron and Red-shouldered Hawk before gliding gradually back to their nest Egret Project has documented many Swainson’s Hawk sites. Herons and egrets are most likely to sources of disturbance to heronries across Golden Eagle exhibit fly-ups early in the nesting season, five northern counties of the San Bald Eagle in apparent response to perceived danger Francisco Bay area (Table 1). Any intense Western Gull but often with no obvious threat or stimu- or repeated disturbance can cause birds Unknown owl lus. Because a safe place to nest is a fun- to abandon a colony site permanently. Osprey damental requirement for successful However, it is not yet clear whether Unknown avian predator breeding, the conservation of herons and heronries are more strongly affected by Non-native red fox egrets must consider potentially adverse human interference or by other sources of Raccoon effects of nesting disturbance. To what disturbance. To complicate the matter, Unknown predator extent does human or other disturbance the likelihood of disturbance by native or threaten heronries? introduced nest predators may be Nesting colonies of herons and egrets enhanced or diminished by human activi- as you approach a colony, and retreat if are spectacular in their beauty. They have ty or human alteration of habitats. there is any such suggestion of distur- attracted human interest for thousands of To avoid investigator disturbance, ACR bance. Our best approach is to treat these years, inspiring admiration as well as observers at heronries follow these guide- beautiful birds with the cautious respect worldwide exploitation of their feathers lines during field investigations: Our first one should assume
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