I’m really thrilled with the results of using 360 camera monitoring for our oystercatchers in the park. As with nest 01B previously, I was able to predict where nest 02B would hide their chicks, and where they would bring them out when no one was around. It really is comforting and useful to observe them as a fly on the wall when they are at their least disturbed and most relaxed, from the very first day after they hatch.
Normally when the chicks are just a day old, we won’t see them without more time than we can usually afford to spend waiting for them to come out. So we leave notes in NestStory that usually read something like “I’m sure they have chicks based on how they are acting, but I haven’t seen them yet. Hopefully they are still alive.”
I’m sad to report that it’s looking a little like they already lost one of their two chicks in the first 24 hours. There is a good chance exposure would have been a problem since they hatched into some terribly cold, wet weather. But there is also a chance one is still hidden deep in the vegetation and just hasn’t come forward yet. Even though we now have almost perfect 24/7 coverage, they have only made a few very, very brief appearances so far. We already know what attentive parents these two, sweet birds are. They are surely giving this their all.
I’m really looking forward to expanding this program across the park. It’s accurate, thorough, and 100% non disruptive. It’s going to take some ingenuity to adapt this to piping plover as well, but I’m feeling confident now that we can do it! The value of being able to understand more precisely where and when losses occur can’t be overstated.
I welcome and encourage you to help us purchase, modify, and run more of these unique brooding cameras by sponsoring one with a fully tax deductible donation to The Little Egg Foundation.
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