ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER AT SAN LUIS OBISPO COAST DISTRICT IN 2014 Submitted by California State Parks San Luis Obispo Coast District 750 Hearst Castle Road San Simeon, CA 93452 Recovery Permit #TE-082237-6.2 i INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 1 METHODS.................................................................................................................................................... 2 Survey Area ................................................................................................................... 2 Hearst San Simeon State Park (CA-69 through CA-77) ............................................ 2 Villa Creek Beach (CA-78) ........................................................................................ 3 Morro Strand State Beach (CA-80) ........................................................................... 4 Sandspit (CA-81) ........................................................................................................ 4 Monitoring ..................................................................................................................... 5 Nesting Habitat Substrate .......................................................................................... 6 Determining Nest Fate ............................................................................................... 7 Current Management ................................................................................................... 8 Habitat Protection ..................................................................................................... 8 Habitat Enhancement ................................................................................................. 8 Predator Management ............................................................................................... 9 Enforcement ............................................................................................................. 11 Information/Education ............................................................................................. 12 Volunteer Efforts ...................................................................................................... 14 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................................... 15 Wintering WSP ........................................................................................................... 15 Hearst San Simeon State Park ................................................................................. 16 Villa Creek Beach .................................................................................................... 16 Morro Strand ........................................................................................................... 16 Sandspit .................................................................................................................... 17 Breeding Window Survey .......................................................................................... 17 Hearst San Simeon State Park ................................................................................. 17 Villa Creek Beach .................................................................................................... 18 Morro Strand ........................................................................................................... 18 Sandspit .................................................................................................................... 18 Banded WSP ................................................................................................................ 18 Hearst San Simeon State Park ................................................................................. 19 Villa Creek Beach .................................................................................................... 20 Morro Strand ........................................................................................................... 20 Sandspit .................................................................................................................... 21 Injured/Dead WSP ...................................................................................................... 22 Hearst San Simeon State Park ................................................................................. 22 Villa Creek Beach .................................................................................................... 22 Morro Strand ........................................................................................................... 22 Sandspit .................................................................................................................... 23 Nest and Egg Numbers ............................................................................................... 24 Nesting Habitat Substrate: Overview ..................................................................... 25 Hearst San Simeon State Park ................................................................................. 26 Villa Creek Beach .................................................................................................... 26 Nesting Habitat Substrate ..................................................................................... 29 Morro Strand ........................................................................................................... 30 Nesting Habitat Substrate ..................................................................................... 34 ii Sandspit .................................................................................................................... 35 Nesting Habitat Substrate ..................................................................................... 39 Floated Eggs ................................................................................................................ 40 Villa Creek Beach .................................................................................................... 41 Morro Strand ........................................................................................................... 41 Sandspit .................................................................................................................... 41 Chick/Fledgling Fate ................................................................................................... 42 Villa Creek Beach .................................................................................................... 42 Morro Strand ........................................................................................................... 42 Sandspit .................................................................................................................... 42 Depredation ................................................................................................................. 42 Predator Presence Across District Beaches ............................................................ 43 Hearst San Simeon State Park ................................................................................. 44 Villa Creek Beach .................................................................................................... 44 Morro Strand ........................................................................................................... 48 Sandspit .................................................................................................................... 52 Human Activities/Recreation ..................................................................................... 55 Hearst San Simeon State Park ................................................................................. 55 Villa Creek Beach .................................................................................................... 55 Morro Strand ........................................................................................................... 56 Sandspit .................................................................................................................... 60 CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 62 Future Management ................................................................................................... 63 TABLES Table 1: (BWS1) District WSP Breeding Window Survey Population 2002-2014. ..................................... 17 Table 2: (VC1) Number of Nests Found by Month at Villa Creek Beach 2004-2014. ................................ 27 Table 3: (VC2) Nest Fates and Percentages for Villa Creek Beach in 2014. ............................................... 27 Table 4: (VC3) Nest Distribution and Fate at Villa Creek Beach in 2014. .................................................. 28 Table 5: (VC4) Distribution of Nests at Estero Bluffs State Park 2001-2014. ............................................. 29 Table 6: (VC5) Number of Nests by Days Incubated at Villa Creek Beach in 2014. .................................. 29 Table 7: (MS1) Number of Nests Found by Month on Morro Strand 2004-2014. ...................................... 31 Table 8: (MS2) Nest Fates and Percentages at Morro Strand in 2014. ........................................................ 32 Table 9: (MS3)