Laserfiche WebLink
fledglings /21 nests) at all sites monitored during 2008 (Table 5). We observed a nest -based <br />fledging success rate of 0.60 piping plover fledglings /nest (3/5) at managed or constructed <br />islands and 0.44 (7/16) piping plover fledglings /nest at sandpits during 2008. We observed an <br />average piping plover daily survival rate of 0.93 (range= 0.90 -0.94) for broods located at <br />sandpits during 2008; brooding - period survival rate = 0.33 (range = 0.21 -0.42; Appendix 10). <br />We only observed 1 piping plover brood at managed or constructed islands during 2008 and it <br />survived (Appendix 11). Piping plover daily and brooding - period survival rates during 2008 <br />were similar between sandpits and the river site [X2(l, N =8) = 1.96; P =0.16; Appendix 12]. <br />We observed and monitored interior least tern nests at 4 of 15 sandpits and 3 of 13 managed or <br />constructed islands surveyed during 2009 (Table 4). The first known interior least tern nest was <br />initiated on 25 May, 2009 and the last observed nest was initiated on 10 July, 2009. At least 1 <br />egg from 55% (31/56) of interior least tern nests hatched which resulted in 68 chicks and an <br />overall nest - success rate of 1.21 chicks /nest during 2009 (Table 5). The first observation of an <br />interior least tern chick occurred on 17 June, 2009 and the last nest known to hatch did so on 1 <br />August, 2009. Unlike 2008, interior least tern nest - success was lower at sandpits than managed <br />or constructed river islands during 2009. We observed 75% (6/8) of interior least tern nests <br />located on river islands hatched >_ 1 chick while 52% (25/48) of interior least tern nests at sandpits <br />hatched ? 1 chick. During 2009, we observed 11 chicks (1.3 8 chicks /nest) on managed or <br />constructed islands and 57 chicks (1.19 chicks /nest) at sandpits. The 5 nests `observed' at the <br />Mormon Island site, however, were only observed after they had hatched so they were not <br />included in analyses of daily survival. We observed an average daily survival rate of 0.99 (range <br />= 0.98 -0.99) for sandpit nests with no difference observed between sites; average incubation- <br />period survival rate = 0.77 (range = 0.63 -0.88; Appendix 13). We observed an average daily <br />survival rate of 0.84 (range = 0.77 -1.00) for nests located on managed or constructed river <br />islands; average incubation - period survival rate = 0.03 (range = 0.00 -1.00; Appendix 14). <br />Survival rates for interior least tern nests was lower at river sites than sandpits [X2(1, N =49) _ <br />6.38; P =0.01; Appendix 15]. We observed an interior least tern fledgling for the first time on 9 <br />July, 2009 and the last known interior least tern chick to fledge was observed on 17 August, <br />2009. We observed a fledging rate of 0.79 (44 fledglings /56 nests) at all sites monitored during <br />2009 (Table 5). Similar to 2008, we observed a nest -based fledging success rate of 0.38 interior <br />least tern fledglings /nest (3/8) at managed or constructed islands and 0.85 interior least tern <br />fledglings /nest (41/48) at sandpits during 2009 (Table 4). Daily survival rates for interior least <br />tern broods at sandpits was 0.99 (range = 0.95 - 0.99); brooding - period survival rate = 0.84 (range <br />= 0.48 -0.91; Appendix 16). We observed a daily brood survival rate of 0.96 at our only <br />monitored river site with an interior least tern brood during 2009, Mormon Islands; brooding - <br />period survival rate = 0.63 (Appendix 17). Interior least tern brood survival rates at sandpit and <br />river island sites during 2009 were similar [X2(l, N =30) = 1.74; P =0.19; Appendix 18]. <br />We observed piping plover nests at 3 of 15 sandpits and 1 of 13 managed or constructed islands <br />during 2009 (Table 4). The first observation of a piping plover nest occurred on 4 May, 2009 <br />and the last observed nest was initiated on 3 June, 2009. At least 1 egg from 64% (9/14) of <br />piping plover nests hatched which resulted in 30 chicks and a nest - success rate of 2.14 <br />chicks /nest during 2009 (Table 5). The first observation of a piping plover chick occurred on 1 <br />June, 2009 and the last successful nest we observed hatched on 21 June, 2009. We observed <br />50% (1/2) of piping plover nests located on river islands hatched >_1 chick while 67% (8/12) of <br />piping plover nests at sandpits hatched ?1 chick. Three chicks (1.50 chicks /nest) successfully <br />PRRIP 2008 -2009 Tern /Plover Report Page 20 of 42 <br />