Drive to Fiesta Island, walk all the way to the end and you’ll run into a fence with a sign that says, “Do not disturb.” It protects one of the last remaining patches of sand dune where the endangered California least tern can nest and nurture its chicks.
Robert Slavey was among volunteers removing vegetation March 17 on Fiesta Island to improve the chances of survival for California least tern chicks.
The more plants there are, the easier it is for crows and ravens to spot the least tern chicks, whose sandy-colored bodies stand out against the green weeds, said Megan Flaherty, restoration program manager for the San Diego Audubon Society. That makes it easier for those predators to eat the chicks and harder for their parents to defend them.On Sunday, about 40 volunteers chipped away at the carpet of weeds and other plants that have overrun the least terns’ nesting habitat.
The California least tern measures about 9 inches long and has gray and white feathers and a black cap. Each spring, the birds migrate from South America to California’s coastline to breed and raise their chicks until September. In the past, the birds would have had expanses of sandy dunes in which they could pick a nesting spot. Now, because there are so many people, cars and dogs on Fiesta Island, the birds are confined to the same small fenced area, which makes it easier for predators to find them year after year.
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