FSA Florida Keys Shorebird Partnership
2013 Post-Season meeting minutes
Date: Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Time: 1 – 3pm
Meeting Participants:
Naomi Avissar – FWC/FSA Shorebird Partnership Coordinator
Jeanne Baker, FWC Data Analyst
Janice Duquesnel- Key Biologist, FPS (adding Long key to her surveys!)
Trudy Ferraro – FPS, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Pete Frezza - Audubon Florida, Tavernier Science Center
Elizabeth Ignaffo - Keys Audubon Society
Carol Rizkalla – FWC Assistant Regional Biologist
Debbie Schultz - JIATF, Key West
RicardoZambrano – FWC Regional Biologist
MINUTES
-Introduction and Meeting Goals
-Multi-yeardata summary from the Florida Shorebird Database(see FWC presentation attached)
-Open Discussion on nesting in the Florida Keys
- Ground nests:
- Trudy: Carysfort Marina ground nests- less WIPL nesting this year, possibly due to plant growth since it’s a restoration site. She thinks there will be few, if any, ground nesting opportunities. First year without killdeer nests. She walked entire site last year but only did that with one nest this year. Had successful fledging and will document roving chick. Not aware of any nearby sites that WIPL can move to next year.
- Carol/Ricardo: Dry Tortugas had a Roseate Tern ground colony, peaked on June 30th. Suspects they may haverenested from Key West rooftop. 25 chicks and later 52 chicks were banded from two colonies in the Tortugas. Historic site on navy property was flooded over. Tracy Zeigler is new contact for NPS.
- Rooftops:
- Debbie: lost all Roseates this year on the Truman Annex building in Key West–no eggs hatched. Lots of rain in early June. LETE already hatched and fledged, but ROST did not have time to hatch.
- Janice: 4 key largo sites: problem with chicks falling off (especially at Old Garden Gove Dive- Veterans Affairs Administration Building)- Amanda spoke with building owners to put chicks back up on roof and put up some structures to prevent falls next season. Seemed like marked declines in numbers of adults (flush counts) as weeks went on.
- Ricardo: checked on the Sandy Cove condo (now a nongravel roof) which had a peak of 15 nests this season, but no chicks (also washed away from storms)- no gravel and no parapet, so it’s easy for chicks to get blown off the edge. Checked 3 roofs for ROST (Cocoplum condos in Marathon peaked at 34 nests and Monroe Co. Government Building had a peak of 78 nests – but neither of those produced chicks, and the Truman Annex in Key West had a peak of 68 ROST nests).
- Elizabeth: construction on N. Roosevelt Blvd. might have affected the terns that normally nest at Publix, Kmart, and government building (no nesting terns this year, normally they are there). Tom was surveying old town sites – AT&T building did have some terns- they fixed parapet. Elizabeth will check to see if the buildings along Roosevelt Blvd. have been re-roofed.
- Pete- 5 rooftops in upper keys (1 did not have birds Tavernier). 2 sites fledged chicks (Amanda and crew put up barriers to prevent chick falls), 2 sites abandoned probably due to rooftop work* (plastered over gravel- probably won’t be suitable next yr). They don’t monitor any ground-nesting sites. LAGUs still nest on Middle Butternut (?) Island (anecdotal info).
*Contact FWC law enforcement immediately if you see this type of rooftop disturbance in the future.Even though rooftop is provate property, seabird eggs and chicks are protected by law. So if rooftop repairs are necessary during the nesting season, the best approach is to work withAC repair folks ASAP. Volunteers: if you see disturbance, please ask them to stop until we can take measures to protect birds during construction, and if they do not comply, call FWC dispatch (888-404-FWCC). Outreach before the nesting season is best. We have posters (will bring to pre-season meeting). Let us know if you encounter resistance – a warning may be more effective coming from the state.
- Trudy: one rooftop (winn Dixie) had no activity, Buttonwood Bay monitored by amanda had nests. Key Largo school site had minor activity entire time, school administrator said grounds crew put chicks up in the past. Did not observe chicks this year.
-Needs for next season (posting, rooftop modifications, volunteers, FSA brochures, signs, and posters?) - let Naomi , Ricardo or Carol know prior to the spring meeting (TBD) or anytime before that if you want some mailed.
-Need a local coordinator…. Janice volunteered! Naomi to mentor Janice in the transition
Thanks for a great first season and see you all next year!!! Spring meeting date TBD.