Promoting Change in Common Tern (Sterna Hirundo) Nest Site Selection to Minimize Construction Related Disturbance
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln US Fish & Wildlife Publications US Fish & Wildlife Service 9-2019 Promoting Change in Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) Nest Site Selection to Minimize Construction Related Disturbance. Peter C. McGowan Jeffery D. Sullivan Carl R. Callahan William Schultz Jennifer L. Wall See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usfwspubs This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the US Fish & Wildlife Service at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in US Fish & Wildlife Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Authors Peter C. McGowan, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Carl R. Callahan, William Schultz, Jennifer L. Wall, and Diann J. Prosser Table 2. The caloric values of seeds from selected Bowler, P.A. and M.E. Elvin. 2003. The vascular plant checklist for the wetland and upland vascular plant species in adjacent University of California Natural Reserve System’s San Joaquin habitats. Freshwater Marsh Reserve. Crossosoma 29:45−66. Clarke, C.B. 1977. Edible and Useful Plants of California. Berkeley, Calories in CA: University of California Press. Calories per Gram of seed 100 Grams Earle, F.R. and Q. Jones. 1962. Analyses of seed samples from 113 Wetland Vascular Plant Species plant families. Economic Botanist 16:221−231. Ambrosia psilolstachya (4.24 calories/g) 424 calories Ensminger, A.H., M.E. Ensminger, J.E. Konlande and J.R.K. Robson. Artemisia douglasiana (3.55 calories/g) 355 calories 1995. The Concise Encyclopedia of Foods and Nutrition. CRC Distichlis spicata (2.19 calories/gram) 219 calories Press, Inc., Boca Raton, Florida. Heliotropium curassavicum (4.08 calories/g) 408 calories Gordon, S.A. 1980. Analysis of twelve Sonoran Desert seed species Schoenoplectus californicus (2.62 cal/g) 262 calories preferred by the desert harvester ant. Madrono 27:68−78. Bolboschoenus maritimus (5.47 cal/g) 547 calories Harrington, H.D. 1972. Western Edible Wild Plants. Albuquerque, NM: The University of New Mexico Press. Artemisia douglasiana (3.55 cal/g) 355 calories Jones, Q. and F.R. Earle. 1966. Chemical analyses of Seeds II: Oil and Upland Vascular Plant Species protein content of 759 species. Economic Botany 20:127−155. Bloomeria crocea (4.25 cal/g) 425 calories Levin, D.A. 1974. The oil content of seeds: an ecological perspective. Eriogonum fasciculatum (4 cal/g) 400 calories American Naturalist 108:193−206. Eriophyllum confertiflorum (5.53 cal/g) 533 calories Martin, A.C., H.S. Zim and A.L. Nelson 1951. American Wildlife Peritoma arborea (3.03 cal/g) 303 calories and Plants: A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits. New York, NY: Lotus scoparius (3.31 cal/g) 331 calories Dover Publications, Inc. Lupinus succulentus (3.44 cal/g) 344 calories Reichman, O.J. 1976. Relationships between dimensions, weights, Plantago erecta (4.38 cal/g) 438 calories and calories of some Sonoran Desert seeds. Southwestern Natu- Salvia mellifera (3.44 cal/g) 344 calories ralist 20:573−586. Timbrook, J.J. 1997. California Indian Basketweavers. California Indian Basketweavers Association Newsletter. Using this approach and establishing site-specific base- lines for seed production, wetland restorations could be monitored for the seasonal increase in seed caloric avail- ability as a wetland restoration site matures and wetland habitat expands in extent, stem and panicle densities, and Promoting Change in Common Tern seed production. These kinds of interpretations provide a data-driven approach to quantifying an important eco- (Sterna hirundo) Nest Site Selection logical service, in this case to granivores, which a restora- to Minimize Construction Related tion can contribute for onsite and colonizing consumers. Disturbance. Monitoring seed production throughout a restoration site’s Peter C. McGowan (corresponding author: U.S. Fish and history and development would be a useful documentation Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office, 177 Admiral of an amenity provided by wetland or upland restorations. Cochrane Drive, Annapolis, Maryland, 21401, peter_c_ This strategy is an important data-based insight that could [email protected]), Jeffery D. Sullivan (Natural Systems be broadly used in monitoring the ecological restoration Analysts, Winter Park, Florida), Carl R. Callahan (U.S. Fish of wetlands. and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office, Annapo- lis, Maryland), William Schultz (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- Acknowledgements vice, Chesapeake Bay Field Office, Annapolis, Maryland), We thank S & S Seeds for generously providing samples of seeds Jennifer L. Wall (Chesapeake Conservation Corps, Chesa- for some of the species. The Albert Bennett Laboratory (Ecology peake Bay Trust, Annapolis, MD), and Diann J. Prosser and Evolutionary Biology) graciously allowed the use of its bomb (Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, calorimeter, and several graduate students were particularly helpful in assisting our use and calorimetric data collection. The Beltsville, Maryland). University of California Natural Reserve System’s San Joaquin ue to the many challenges facing waterbird popula- Marsh Reserve permitted seed sampling and assisted the study tions (Jia et al. 2018, Wetlands International 2018), in many other ways. D it has become common practice to limit disturbance to breeding colonies whenever possible to maximize repro- References ductive success. While this may require often unpopular Barclay, A.S. and F.R. Earle. 1974. Chemical analyses of seeds III: oil and protein content of 1253 species. Economic Botany 28: 178−236. Ecological Restoration Vol. 37, No. 3, 2019 ISSN 1522-4740 E-ISSN 1543-4079 ©2019 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. September 2019 ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION 37:3 • 143 must also ensure that individuals do not nest at the histori- cal nesting site. One approach is to reduce the quality or quantity of breeding habitat at the historical colony and create or improve habitat at a desired location (Roby et al. 2002, Hartman et al. 2018). However, this jeopardizes the colony if the new site is not adopted. Another option is the use of overhead lines and flagging. This approach is commonly used to deter nuisance species (Pochop et al. 1990) but has also been successful for preventing nesting of various tern species (Roby et al. 2002, Marcus et al. 2007). The goal of our study was to evaluate the use of a paired attractant and deterrent to facilitate the relocation of a Sterna hirundo (Common Tern) breeding colony from its historical nesting location in the face of extensive distur- bance. We hypothesized that the paired use of attractants placed in suitable breeding habitat and deterrents covering the entirety of the historical nesting colony would result in complete relocation of the breeding population to the new target area. The Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystem Restoration Project at Poplar Island (Poplar Island), located in Talbot County, Maryland (38°46'01" N, 76°22'54" W), is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Maryland Port Administra- tion (MPA) beneficial use of dredged material project (USACE 2005). Poplar Island serves as the largest of only two S. hirundo nesting sites within the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The largest S. hirundo colony pres- ent on Poplar Island is traditionally located at the north end of the island within the northeast corner of a dredge containment unit (elevation: eight meters above sea level, Figure 1). The historical nesting site was a narrow linear parcel of land encompassing approximately 0.70 ha. The nesting substrate was composed of a sand/clay/shell mix- ture, interspersed with vegetation that grows to increasing Figure 1. Map of Poplar Island showing areas of lateral density as the breeding season progresses (May through expansion (the area of construction activity), historical August). Similar habitat is found in abundance throughout Sterna hirundo colony nesting site, and colony reloca- this area of the island. tion site (image courtesy of U.S Army Corps of Engineers). At times, on-site conflicts arise between avian use and construction activities. For example, during the 2017 and 2018 S. hirundo nesting seasons ongoing construction management techniques including beach closures (Jor- activity increased heavy equipment and foot traffic near gensen et al. 2015, Mayo et al. 2015) and predator removal the historical nesting site (Figure 1). However, continuation (Neuman et al. 2004, Stocking et al. 2017), such actions are of the project was necessary to avoid significant complica- sometimes necessary for the success of the colony. How- tions and delayed habitat development. Due to the negative ever, there are instances when eliminating disturbance is impacts disturbance would have on nesting terns and the not possible and birds must be attracted to a new site. A need to continue construction, the decision was made to common method for attracting waterbirds to a desired promote nesting approximately 200 m northwest of the location is paired auditory and visual attractants such as historical site. Nesting substrate within the relocation site decoys and conspecific calls, a highly effective approach was sandier than the historical site due to the recent deposi- for terns (Jeffries and Brunton 2001, Roby et al. 2002, tion of fresh sand used for dike construction, but the area Arnold et al. 2011), murres (Sawyer and Fogle 2013), and was comparable in size. other colonial nesting waterbirds (see Friesen et al. 2017 Sterna hirundo were deterred from using the historical for a review). site during the 2017 and 2018 nesting seasons by plac- While attracting breeding populations to desired loca- ing perpendicular, diagonal, and parallel overhead lines tions is an important step in colony relocation, managers (mason line). In late April 2017 (concurrent with the arrival 144 • September 2019 ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION 37:3 Figure 2. Diagram showing arrangement of overhead lines established within the historical Sterna hirundo colony at Poplar Island.