Stewardship Report: Black Oystercatcher Success

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As summer comes to an end, we at HRAP are reflecting on a busy summer and its challenges and rewards. One of the biggest rewards was seeing the resident Black Oystercatcher pair successfully raise a chick for the first time in six years! After losing their first nest in late May, they tried again with one egg. The chick hatched in late June, and it was a joy to watch the pair raise the chick in the nesting area until mid-August, when the chick fledged and started to forage around Haystack Rock under the watchful eyes of its parents. We are still seeing the trio foraging together on the boulders on the north and south sides, as well as along the north wall. The chick will stay with its parents until next spring, when it will head off into the world to try to find a mate.

The Black Oystercatcher chick left the nest area with its parents around August 12. Here they are foraging on the north side (parents top and bottom, chick in the middle). Photo by Tia Prudholm

The black oystercatcher chick (far left) and its parents (center and far right) forage on the north wall of Haystack Rock on August 20, 2019. Photo by Margaret Minnick

As far as challenges go, we had a lot of sand build up this spring and summer, covering some of the usual tidepool areas and opening up a lot of real estate around the rock. This enabled visitors to access the cave area at higher low tides than is typical, creating a challenge for protecting the nesting cormorants above and around the cave. On the plus side, the sand made it easier for visitors walk through the tidepools without stepping on rocks, which helped protect intertidal life.

In the past week, some of the sand has started to clear out, providing beautiful views of giant green sea anemones. Some deep pools have formed, which have trapped some animals during low tide that are not regular tidepool dwellers - for example, sea nettles (a kind of jelly), a cabezon, and a school of juvenile surf perch. This year's cormorant and western gull chicks are still hanging around, while the puffins and common murres have headed off to sea.

Below are a few pictures of Haystack Rock's beautiful wildlife that we've seen in these last days of summer. We wish everyone a wonderful fall and winter season!

Photos below by Margaret Minnick










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