Mark M. Peyton, Senior Biologist, Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, P.O. Box 188, Gothenburg, Nebraska 69138, (308) 537-3582.

ABSTRACT

The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, in order to prevent the inundation of piping plover (Chadrious melodius) nests along the shore of Lake McConaughy in west-central Nebraska during 1995 and 1996, successfully moved 37 nests a total of 96 times. Presented here is a methodology developed by Rodger Knaggs and Sol Brich to move these nests quickly and efficiently without damage to the nests.

INTRODUCTION

The piping plover, a species designated as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, nests in open sandy areas throughout most of the Missouri River Basin. Typical nest sites include riverine islands, reservoir and lake shorelines and spoil piles produced by sandpit operations.

The largest single concentration of piping plovers in Nebraska occurs along the shore of Lake McConaughy (Dinan, 1996), a reservoir in Keith County located on the North Platte River approximately five miles north of the city of Ogallala.

The presence of piping plovers on the shore of Lake McConaughy was first documented in 1978 by Rosche (1984), with the first nests located in 1990 (Johnsgard). The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District (Central), which owns and operates Lake McConaughy, began monitoring and protecting the nests along the approximately 105 miles of shoreline in 1992. Since 1992, Central's biologists have located more than 300 piping plover nests on the reservoir's beaches and parking lots adjacent to the lake, have documented the hatching of 549 chicks and have verified a minimum of 311 young birds successfully fledged (Peyton, 1996).

Predation, trampling by cattle and human disturbance have been the most common cause of nest failure at Lake McConaughy. However, the major threat to successful piping plover reproduction in 1995 and 1996 was rising lake levels.

Piping plovers arrive at Lake McConaughy during the first and second weeks of May. Nest initiation and renesting continues throughout May and June. Measurements of 38 nests at the time of initiation in 1996 revealed that the average elevation of the nests was 3.13 feet above water level. The nests were placed approximately half way between the water's edge and the zone of vegetation surrounding the reservoir.

Lake McConaughy was designed for a maximum elevation of 3,270 feet above sea level. However, under the present operating license issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the maximum elevation allowed under normal conditions is 3,265. Under special conditions, permission from the FERC to exceed this maximum elevation may be obtained. Due to high runoff in both the North Platte and South Platte Rivers in 1995, Central requested permission from FERC to exceed the 3,265 maximum.

In 1995, the first piping plover nest was located on 13 May. Lake elevation on that date was 3,258.1 feet above sea level. The reservoir reached its peak elevation for the season -- 3,266.3 -- on 4 July, eight feet higher than the 13 May elevation.

A similar pattern of runoff and lake inflow occurred in 1996. Lake elevation on 13 May was 3256.5 and the peak elevation occurred on 27 June at 3,260.7.

The rising water threatened established piping plover nests that were located on the sandy beaches surrounding the lake. In an effort to protect the nests in 1995, Central obtained permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to move the nests to higher elevations to prevent inundation.

Kingsley Dam Superintendent Rodger Knaggs and seasonal biologist Sol Brich developed the following method which allowed them to move nests quickly and efficiently, and more importantly, successfully with little disturbance to attending adult birds. This procedure resulted in 96 successful nest relocations. In every case the attending pair returned to the nest at the new location within minutes after the move.

PROCEDURE

Step #1: Remove the bottom of an empty 10-lb. coffee can. Place the coffee can over the nest. Carefully push the can down so that the bottom lip of the can is three to four inches below the surface.

Step #2: Select a new location to place the nest, one to two meters away from the original nest site, then carefully slide a flat shovel under the can and nest.

Step #3: Lift carefully and place the can, nest and associated sand on a 40-cm x 40-cm sheet of 3/4-inch plywood. Carefully remove the shovel.

Step #4: By hand, carefully pack sand around the can until the entire board is covered. Lift the board and carry it to the new location. Place it on the ground and brush sand up and over the board so that it is completely covered. Sweep the sand around the nest site with a small broom to give the site a more natural look.

Step #5: Place any rocks, debris, etc., that were in the vicinity of the original site in a corresponding position relative to the nest. Carefully remove the coffee can. The initial move takes less than five minutes. Additional moves simply require picking up the board and moving it to the next location, taking care to again replace the debris that may be used as nest site references by the adult piping plovers. These successive moves can be accomplished in less than one minute.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

During 1995 and 1996, Central employees developed a method for successfully moving piping plover nests. Thirty-seven nests were moved a total of 96 times. The success of our method is demonstrated by the resumption of incubation by the attending adults in 100 percent of the trials. The only problem encountered was an increase in nest loss caused by predation in 1995 related to relocation of the nests closer to, and sometimes into, heavy vegetation, thus making the nests more vulnerable to predators.

While we've shown the nests can be moved and the adult birds will resume incubation, if adjacent vegetation-free areas at higher elevations are not available, it may be in the best interests of the birds to allow inundation of the nests. If this occurs, the birds may renest at different locations.

While perfecting the process of moving the nests in 1995, the nests were moved into vegetated areas because no open areas remained at the lake. All ten nests were lost to predation. With open areas available in 1996, the success rate of the 27 nests that were moved was not significantly different from the 33 nests that were not moved.

Despite the increase in predation when nests were relocated to vegetated areas, we have demonstrated that this method can be successful in saving nests threatened with inundation by rising water at reservoirs.

REFERENCES CITED

Dinan, John J. 1996. The 1996 international piping plover breeding census in Nebraska. Unpublished report of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. 7pp.

Johnsgard, P. A. 1990. Additional observations on the birds of the Lake McConaughy region. Nebraska Bird Review 58:52-54.

Rosche, R.C. and P. A. Johnsgard. 1984. Birds of Lake McConaughy and the North Platte River Valley, Oshkosh to Keystone. Nebraska Bird Review 52:26-35.

Peyton, Mark M. 1996. Final Report: 1996 least tern and piping plover nest management. Unpublished report to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

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Last updated by Darren A. Jack on 4/28/97