2015 Piping Plover and Least Tern Project Report for Maine January, 2016 Laura Minich Zitske Kate O'Brien Brad Zitske With assistance from: Traczie Bellinger Jordan Kramer Katrina Papanastassiou Lindsay Tudor This project was supported by federal Pittman-Robertson Funds, federal State Wildlife Grant and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ESA Section 6 funds; state revenues from the Loon Conservation license plate and Chickadee Check-off; the P. W. Sprague Memorial Foundation and volunteer assistance. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................................i LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................................................... ii LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................................................... iii INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 METHODS AND MATERIALS ................................................................................................................................ 1 Population Monitoring ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Beach Monitoring ................................................................................................................................................ 2 Least Tern Monitoring ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Fencing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Electric Fencing ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 Predators .................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Public Outreach Programs 2015 .............................................................................................................................. 5 Law Enforcement ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................................. 9 Least Terns ................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Site Summaries for Least Terns ................................................................................................................................ 9 Wells Beach – Wells ............................................................................................................................................. 9 Laudholm Beach – Wells ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Crescent Surf Beach – Kennebunk ..................................................................................................................... 10 Goose Rocks Beach – Kennebunkport ............................................................................................................... 10 Western/Ferry Beach – Scarborough ................................................................................................................. 11 Stratton Island – Scarborough ........................................................................................................................... 11 Higgins Beach – Scarborough ........................................................................................................................... 11 Ram Island, Breakwater Beach – Cape Elizabeth ............................................................................................. 12 Seawall Beach, Morse Mountain – Phippsburg ................................................................................................. 12 Popham Beach State Park – Phippsburg ........................................................................................................... 12 Reid State Park – Georgetown ........................................................................................................................... 13 Piping Plovers ........................................................................................................................................................ 13 Site Summaries for Piping Plovers ......................................................................................................................... 14 Ogunquit Beach, Ogunquit ................................................................................................................................. 14 Moody Beach, Wells ........................................................................................... 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Wells Beach, Wells ............................................................................................................................................. 15 Drakes Island, Wells .......................................................................................................................................... 15 Laudholm Beach, Wells - Rachel Carson NWR ................................................................................................. 15 Crescent Surf Beach, Kennebunk - Rachel Carson NWR ................................................................................... 16 Parsons Beach, Kennebunk - Rachel Carson NWR ........................................................................................... 17 Marshall Point, Kennebunkport - Rachel Carson NWR .................................................................................... 17 Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport ................................................................................................................. 17 Fortunes Rock/Hattie’s Beach, Biddeford...................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.17 Hills Beach, Biddeford ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Ferry Beach, Saco - Rachel Carson NWR ......................................................................................................... 18 Goosefare Brook, Saco - Rachel Carson NWR .................................................................................................. 18 Ocean Park, Old Orchard Beach ....................................................................................................................... 19 Old Orchard Beach, Old Orchard Beach .......................................................................................................... 19 i Pine Point Beach, Scarborough ......................................................................................................................... 19 Western/Ferry Beach, Scarborough ................................................................................................................... 20 Scarborough Beach State Park, Scarborough ................................................................................................... 20 Higgins Beach, Scarborough ............................................................................................................................. 20 Ram Island, Cape Elizabeth ............................................................................................................................... 21 Crescent Beach State Park, Cape Elizabeth ...................................................................................................... 21 Head Beach, Phippsburg ................................................................................................................................... 21 Seawall Beach (Morse Mountain), Phippsburg ................................................................................................. 21 Popham Beach State Park, Phippsburg ............................................................................................................. 22 Hunnewell Beach, Phippsburg ........................................................................................................................... 22 Indian Point, Georgetown .................................................................................................................................. 23 Reid State Park, Georgetown ............................................................................................................................. 23 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2015 ................................................................................ 24 Electric Fencing .....................................................................................................................................................