WCA -
(May 6, 2008)
Rainfall:
Very little
rain fell last week across the
WCA-1:
0.03”
WCA-3A: 0.27”
WCA-2A:
0.01”
WCA-3B: 0.53”
WCA-2B:
0.09”
ENP:
0.43”
The mean 7
day evapotranspiration for the region was 1.8”; see
srs pdf.
.
Water Conservation Areas:
Recession
rates were excellent in almost all the WCA’s. Only NE Shark River Slough and
WCA-3B had rainfall quantities sufficient to cause slight reversals. However,
large regions of the WCA’s continue to exhibit depths greater than 1 ft (see
attached WCA Stages.xls). Depths
greater than one foot are inhospitable for wading bird foraging. Stages in
WCA-1 have declined and are at Regulation, WCA-2A marsh remains well above
regulation and WCA-3A stages are within zone E1 of the regulation schedule (see
WCA_reg_stages.doc), for
protection of the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow.
Patterns
for ENP wetland water levels followed those for rainfall (areas that saw rain
were up, while other areas w/o precip declined). Nearly 1.5” of rainfall
in Shark River Sl. (station P33) allowed water levels here to increase for the
week by 1.3”. Fueled by low rain & high ET, water level was down for
a second week by nearly 5” over the 7 d period at
Salinity in
Wildlife:
Friday’s
monthly colony survey revealed that the recent improvements in hydrologic
conditions have not initiated a late surge in nesting activity. A total
of 1195 nests (795 egrets and 400 White Ibis nests) were counted. This is
almost double last month’s count but considerably lower than both the May 2006
and May 2007 counts when 36625 and 7170 nests were observed, respectively (see
attached table for more
details). Most nesting activity is in the Refuge.
Most areas
of the WCAs supported low numbers of foraging birds. Very few birds were seen
in WCA-3A or WCA-2A and most activity was seen in the northern Refuge (see
attached table for more
details).
Below is a
summary of the nest numbers for each colony. Attached is a spreadsheet comparing nest
numbers between 2006, 2007 and this year, a map showing colony locations,
and a summary graphic in PowerPoint.
Please contact Mark Cook if you have any questions.
Alley North
Colony
No nests.
Approximately 35 Great Egret pairs have abandoned this colony since last
month’s flight.
No nests.
Approximately 20 Great Egret have abandoned this colony since last month’s
flight
6th Bridge
40
Great/Snowy Egret nests
25 tricolor
Herons
Crossover
No nests
Jetport
No nests
Hidden
No nests
Tamiami
West
No nests
Tamiami
East
No nests
Heron Alley
No nests
3B Mud East
No nests
Big Mel’
No nests
Colony 99
300
Great/Snowy Egret nests
100 White
Ibis nests
Colony 73
30 Great
Egret nests
300 White
Ibis nests
Colony 70
No nests
Colony 111
No nests
New Colony
1
No nests
New Colony
2
100
Great/Snowy Egret nests
New Colony
3
No nests
New Colony
4
200
Great/Snowy Egret nests
100
Tricolor Heron nests
Canal N
No nests
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