Research and Resource Management at Audubon Canyon Ranch Ardeidthe ◗ 25 years of heron and egret monitoring Marin Islands ◗ tidal return Livermore Marsh ◗ population explosion introduced turkeys ◗ bird biodiversity report Tomales Bay ◗ ACR’s other science agenda visiting investigators 2003 the ARDEID 2002 In this issue A Tale of Two Islands: 25 years of monitoring heron and egret monitoring at the Marin Islands ◗ by John P. Kelly ......................................................................................................................page 1 The Return of Tidal Circulation: Breeding and winter bird use in Livermore Marsh ◗ by Katie Etienne......................................................................................................................page 4 Introduced Turkeys: California’s latest population explosion ◗ by Daniel Gluesenkamp ....page 6 Bird Alphabet Soup: A report on the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory of Tomales Bay ◗ by John P. Kelly ......................................................................................................................page 8 The Other Scientific Agenda: Visiting investigators on ACR lands ◗ by John P. Kelly ........page 13 In Progress: Project updates ◗ ................................................................................................page 15 Cover photo: Common Goldeneye by Kenneth W. Gardiner ◗ Ardeid masthead Great Blue Heron ink wash painting by Claudia Chapline Audubon Canyon Ranch The Watch Research and Resource Volunteers for ACR research or habitat restoration projects since The Management Ardeid 2002. Please call (415) 663-8203 if your name should have been included in this list. Executive Staff PROJECT CLASSIFICATIONS: Skip Schwartz, Executive Director John Petersen, Associate Director H = Heron/Egret Project M = Livermore Marsh Monitoring N = Newt Yvonne Pierce, Administrative Director Survey P = Photo Points R = Habitat Restoration S = Tomales Bay Shorebird Project T = Turkey Project W = Tomales Bay Waterbird Census Staff Biologists Dawn Adams (H); Drew Alden (R); Darci Kirschman (S); Nolan Kloer (R); Ellen Krebs John Kelly, PhD, Director, Research & Resource Alderson (R); Kathy Allen (R); Sarah Allen (S); (H); Carol Kuelper (S); Amanda Kurt (R); Andy Management Leslie Allen (R); Marie Anderson (R); Judith LaCasse (H); Sherry Lambert (R); Joan Anna (R); Richard Arendt (R); Christina Lamphier (H); John Larson (R); Olim Leasher Rebecca Anderson-Jones, Bouverie Preserve Attwood (R); Audrey Ayers (R); Audubon (R); Bill Lenzarz (H); Robin Leong (H); Eileen Katie Etienne, Research Coordinator Canyon Ranch - Bouverie Preserve Juniper Libby (H); Patricia Lonacker (R); Flora Maclise Daniel Gluesenkamp, PhD, Habitat Protection and Club (N); Autodesk employees (R); Alex (H); Phil Madden (R); Art & Lynn Magill (R); Aylward (N); Bruce Bajema (HSW); Bob Baez Donovan Maloney (N); Jean Mann (R); Alan Restoration Specialist (SW); Norah Bain (H); Annie Bailey (MR); Ted Margolis (R); Roger Marlowe (W); Sandy Gwen Heistand, Bolinas Lagoon Preserve Bakkilla (R); Sharon Bale (R); Ryan Bartling (R); Martensen (R); Connor Martinelli (N); Nancy Steve & Melinka Bates (R); Tom Baty (W); Mavis (R); Chris Mc Auliffe (H); Ann McDenna Land Stewards Anne Baxter (H); Denali Beard (R); Brian (R); Pat McLorie (NR); Diane McLure (R); Bill Arthur, Bolinas Lagoon Preserve Belsarti (R); Evelyn Berger (R); Gordon Bennett Pamela Mears (R); Jean Miller (H); James (SW); Shelly Benson (R); Louise and Sherman Miramontez (R); Judy Missakian (H); Andrew David Greene, Tomales Bay properties Bielfelt (NR); Gay Bishop (S); Jeffrey Black (R); Morado (N); Sully Mynatt (R); Ken Neihoff (R); John Martin, Bouverie Preserve Sara Blauman (H); Julie Blumenthal (W); Len Dexter Nelson (R); Wally Neville (H); Mark Blumin (RW); Patti Blumin (HR); Ellen Newhouser (T); Ben & Kay Nippes (R); Terry Field Biologists Blustein (MS); Noelle Bon (HN); Janet Nordbye (S); Clara Obstfeld (R); Mary O’Hern Bosshard (H); Phillip Bowman (R); Emily (R); Brandon Orr (R); Judy Osborn-Shaw (R); Ellen Blustein Brockman (HSW); Ken Burton (SW); Denise Briggitta Page (R); Richard Panzer (H); Jennie Nathan Farnau Cadman (H); Sean Cain (R); Alexa Carlson (N); Pardi (H); Bob Parker (R); Mike Parkes Lauren Hammack Barbara Carlson (NR); Bill Carlson (N); Joyce (HRSW); Patagonia employees (R); Joelle & Carlson (N); Kimberley Carlson (H); Melissa James Peebles (R); Sara & Dan Penn (R); Michael Parkes Carlson (N); Kate Carolan (SW); Ann Cassidy Carina Peritore (R); Kathy Peterlein (S); Sally Data Management (H); Dave Chalk (R); Roberta Chan (R); Marie Pola (R); Stephen Pomeroy (R); Myrlee Claire Chapman (R); Giulianna Chierici (N); Potosnak (H); Nancy Proctor (R); Sue Ellen Annie Bailey Tim Coates (R); Bonnie Sue Coburn (R); Steve Raby (R); Julia Reagan (N); Paula Rector (R); Melissa Davis Cochrane (R); Emily Coletta (NR); Carole Linda & Jeff Reichel (H); Anne Reynolds (R); Connell (H); Michelle Coppoletta (R); Jeff Sally A. Reynolds (R); Betty Rice (R); Robin Research Associates Corbin (R); Phil Cordle (R); JoAnn Craig (R); Richard (N); Rudi Richardson (W); Tina Caitlin Cornwall (R); Helen Cravens (R); Carol Richardson (R); Richard Riopelle (R); John & Jules Evens Cree (R); Pack 16, Den 1 Cub Scouts (R); Rig Sally Risberg (R); Gaius Robinson (R); Teresa Grant Fletcher Currie (S); Linda Curry (R); Julie Dabbs (R); Rodgers (R); Barbara & Mike Rosen (R); Glenda Fran Danoff (R); Melissa Davis (HS); Cheri Ross (R); Liz Ruellan (R); De Ann Rushall (RT); Rachel Kamman Degenhardt (R); Nick Degenhardt (H); Mary Janel Russing (R); Tom Rutkowski (R); Lena Flora Maclise Despain (R); Giselle Downard (H); Roberta Ryberg (R); Ellen Sabine (HS); Marilyn Sanders Helen Pratt Downey (R); Joe Drennan (W); Don and Elaine (HR); Fran Scarlett (H); Cindy Schafer (S); Dvorak (M); Bob Dyer (H); David Easton (H); Phyllis Schmitt (R); Janette Schue (R); Alice Rich Stallcup Lance Eberling & 25 Boy Scouts and parents Schultz (H); Craig Scott (S); Asha Setty (R); Resource Management Associates (R); Cathy Evangelista (H); Jules Evens (RSW); Sierra Club “Outings” (R); Bob Smith (S); Ernie Nathan Farnau (S); Jim Farnkoph (R); Katie Smith (R); Joe Smith (HW); Anne Spencer (S); Len Blumin Fehring (SW); John Finger (R); Binny Fischer Rich Stallcup (S); Jean Starkweather (H); Roberta Downey (HW); Chris Flannagen (R); Grant & Ginny Caroline Starrs (N); Michael Stevenson (S); Fletcher (HPSW); Carol Fraker (H); Jamie Sandy Stoddard (R); David Stokes (T); Ron & Scientific Advisory Panel Freymuth (R); Audrey & Randy Fry (R); Donna Helen Sundergill (R); Lowell Sykes (HSW); & Lia Gaetano (R); Daniel George (S); John James Tanforan (R); Judy Temko (HS); Evelyn & Sarah Allen, PhD Geraci (R); Tony Gilbert (HSW); Keith Gish (H); Lisa Teot (R); Janet Thiessen (H); Bill Thomson Peter Connors, PhD Beryl & Dohn Glitz (H); Ivy Gluesenkamp (R); (H); Gil Thomson (H); Dodie Thomson (H); Marilyn Goode (R); Geri Gotterath (R); Philip Traci Tinder (R); Alicia Toldi (T); Leigh Toldi Jules Evens Greene (H); Beth Gurney (R); Karlene Hall (R); (T); Sue Tredick (H); Susan Tremblay (R); Joan Kent Julin, PhD Lauren Hammack (M); Madelon Halpern (H); Turner (R); Rosemary Uren (R); Sue Van Der Greg Kamman Roger Harshaw (S); Bill Haycock (R); Mike & Wal (H); Roberta Varble (R); Zoltan Vasvary (R); Janaea Henkes (R); Diane Hichwa (HS); Linda Vida (R); Norma Vite (R); Sasha Vitomski Rachel Kamman Raymon & Janet Higgins (R); Tom Highland (R); Liang Wang (H); Loraine Walsh (R); Tanis Chris Kjeldsen, PhD (R); Anne Hillsley (R); Diana & Hannah Walters (HS); Penny Watson (W); Sue Hindley (R); Jake Hobson (H); Helen Howard Weingarten (R); Arlene Weis (R); Patrick Welch Doug Oman, PhD (R); Steve Howell (W); Lisa Hug (SW); Dascha (H); Wells Fargo employees (R); Kile White Helen Pratt Inciarte (R); Ellie Insley (R); Jeri Jacobson (H); (NR); Rosilyn & Tom White (W); Diane W. David Shuford Barbara Janis (R); Calvin Jones (R); Lea Jordan Williams (S); Ken Wilson (HW); Jon Winter (H); (R); Gail Kabat (W); Lynnette Kahn (HS); Patty Rollye Wiskerson (H); Mike & Jane Witkowski Rich Stallcup Karlin (H); Bob Kaufman (H); Guy Kay (H); (R); Katy Zaremba (R). Wesley W. Weathers, PhD Carol Keiper (S); Marion Kirby (N); Richard 2003 the ARDEID page 1 Twenty-five years of heron and egret monitoring at the Marin Islands A Tale of Two Islands by John P. Kelly The Marin Islands rise steeply from the bay shallows near San Rafael, like displaced chunks of the surrounding hills. One is forested with eucalyptus and pines; the other is grassy and more open, but lush buckeye and blackberry canopies mantle the northeast side, and these are adorned each spring and summer with hundreds of nesting herons and egrets. The islands are beau- tiful. Relatively undisturbed relicts of an earlier time, they sit just off the mostly urbanized shoreline of the San Francisco Estuary, a reminder that the lives of birds and humans are intertwined. And in the classic words used by Figure 1. Dickens to portray socie- West Marin Island is thickly dotted with nesting Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets and tal extremes, the heronry supports less conspicuous colonies of Black- has seen “the best of times” crowned Night-Herons and Great Blue Herons. and “the worst of times.” OF TRANSPORTATION CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT In 1979, Helen Pratt and others from Keeping watch photographs and colony-based counts the Marin Audubon Society began moni- ach year, Binny Fischer and I map indicate that our annual surveys effective- toring the numbers of nesting herons