Point Blue Conservation Science

🐣🌾 These Snowy Plovers are getting a second chance in the wild! On Friday, June 12th, with the help of several Snowy Plover Guardian Program volunteers, we released two rehabilitated Snowy Plovers at Zmudowski State Beach.

The older juvenile had been rescued as an egg. He came from a successful nest where two other chicks had hatched, but the father had turned his focus to the chicks and was no longer caring for this egg, which was delayed in hatching. During a nest-monitoring visit, our biologists saw signs of life (tapping and peeping from the egg), so we transported him to our friends at SPCA Monterey County, who performed an assisted hatch. Turns out this chick was mispositioned and would have had significant difficulties hatching on its own.

Our second juvenile was “chick-napped” by a well-meaning member of the public who thought he was in distress. This chick was only one or two days old at the time, so its main defense is camouflage: freezing in place and blending in with the sand. Once a chick has been disturbed, reunification with the male is difficult.

Luckily, our friends at SPCA Monterey County were able to care for these chicks until they were strong enough to be released back into the wild! Thank you to everyone who contributed to this successful release! It’s always special to see a rehabilitated bird back where they belong. 💛

📸: photo credit Yvonne Wright

We rescued these Snowy Plovers as eggs and our friends at SPCA Monterey County watched over them until they were ready to hatch. Thankful for such amazing partners and conservation outcomes!

Welcome babies! These two tiny Snowy Plover chicks hatched today under our watchful eyes. They are the 15th and 16th Snowy Plover chicks hatched at our Wildlife Center so far this year.

Our friends at Point Blue Conservation Science rescued these Snowy Plover eggs and brought them to us for care. Because Snowy Plovers are a threatened species, when we receive an egg that might be viable, our skilled SPCA wildlife rescue team will incubate and attempt to hatch the eggs.

The Snowy Plovers will stay in our care for the next month, learning and growing strong enough for release back into the wild.

You can help our snowy plover population to thrive during the March through September breeding season when visiting nesting beaches: please leave your pets at home, respect fenced nesting habitat areas, take only photos, and leave only footprints. Thank you for your support that makes all our rescues possible!

📊 🦀🐋 New Point Blue study examines where California’s commercial Dungeness crab fleet actually fishes and how that information can help reduce whale entanglements.

By mapping these fishing “hot spots,” the study provides a practical tool for managers to better understand where crab gear and whales are most likely to overlap. This information can support targeted measures that reduce whale entanglement risk while helping maintain a sustainable and economically important fishery. The work also demonstrates how modern GPS technology can improve fisheries management and conservation planning along California’s coast.

Read the full study: https://shorturl.at/lH0Tf