Fences designed to keep beachcombers and their pets away from the nests of endangered Western Snowy Plovers in several coastal locations are coming down tomorrow. Bureau of Land Management wildlife biologist Kerrie Palermo says the breeding results this year appear to be better than in previous years… but they’re also a little later than normal.
Kerrie Palermo – “There are broods, so, young birds that have not fledged yet, that can’t fly yet, they’re going to be active all the way towards the end of September so they may want to keep that leash on the dog at least until the end of September.”(click here to listen to audio)
In all there are about eight nesting areas ranging from north of Florence to the Sixes River on the south coast. Palermo says efforts to improve northern populations of the bird that is plentiful in California have been overall successful since the Snowy Plover was first listed as endangered in 1993.
Kerrie Palermo – “We had about 72 plovers, was all that was left on the Oregon Coast. As of last year, in the 2010 report, the population was estimated at 235.”(click here to listen to audio)
She credits a cooperative effort between the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department with helping increase the birds’ population.
