Browsing by Subject "Interstate Island"

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    Interstate Island Habitat Restoration: Phase III – Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance Plan Common Tern Monitoring & Migratory Shorebird Assessment 2023 Final Report
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 2023-12-01) Bracey, Annie; Kolbe, Stephen; Strand, Fred; Grinde, Alexis R
    The goal of the Interstate Island avian habitat restoration project was to restore and enhance critical breeding habitat for the Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) and Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) in the St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE). The primary objective of the habitat restoration was to maintain and increase the population of Common Terns breeding at the Interstate Island colony. To assess the effectiveness of the restoration, post-restoration field surveys were conducted to document the breeding status of Common Terns relative to pre-restoration averages. To document breeding population size and productivity, we followed the long-term monitoring protocol developed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), to ensure comparability between pre- and post- restoration monitoring. There were no monitoring objectives related to Piping Plover since this species has not been documented on Interstate Island. A secondary objective of the project was to document shorebird use of the island during migration to determine if this species group was utilizing the restored habitat. To meet this objective, researchers developed a shorebird monitoring protocol, conducted in- person surveys, and utilized remote camera traps to observe and quantify shorebird species diversity, abundance, and spatial and temporal use of Interstate Island. Based on post-restoration surveys, population targets are not currently being met for Common Tern, with the number of nesting pairs currently at some of the lowest recorded since the island was colonized. However, post-restoration productivity is above the range deemed necessary to sustain a viable population and above pre-restoration averages. The overall quality of the nesting habitat for Common Terns was greatly improved. If habitat quality is the primary factor limiting the size of the breeding population, we anticipate the restoration actions will result in an increase in breeding numbers but there may be a lag in response time. We also documented 22 shorebird species and 38 other avian species using the island during our surveys. Our results indicate that shorebirds as well as many other species of birds will readily use the newly restored habitat at Interstate Island, habitat which is much needed in this important bird region. Continued monitoring and management will be necessary to determine long-term effects of restoration for both Common Terns and migratory shorebirds.
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    Interstate Island Habitat Restoration: Phase III – Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance Plan Common Tern Monitoring & Migratory Shorebird Assessment Final Report
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 2022-09-01) Bracey, Annie; Kolbe, Stephen; Nelson, Stephen; Strand, Fred; Grinde, Alexis R
    The goal of the Interstate Island avian habitat restoration project was to restore and enhance critical breeding habitat for the Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) and Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) in the St. Louis River Estuary. The primary objective of the habitat restoration was to maintain and increase the population of Common Terns breeding at the Interstate Island colony. To assess the effectiveness of the restoration, post-restoration field surveys were conducted to document the breeding status of Common Terns relative to pre-restoration averages. To document breeding population size and productivity, we followed the long-term monitoring protocol developed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), to ensure comparability between pre- and post-restoration monitoring. A secondary objective of the project was to document shorebird use of the island during migration to determine if this species group was utilizing the restored habitat. To meet this objective, researchers developed a shorebird monitoring protocol, conducted in-person surveys, and utilized remote camera traps to observe and quantify shorebird species diversity, abundance, and spatial and temporal use of Interstate Island. Based on post-restoration surveys, population targets are not currently being met for Common Tern, with the number of nesting pairs being at their lowest since the island was colonized. However, productivity was within the average range compared to pre-restoration numbers and the quality of the nesting habitat was greatly improved. If habitat quality is the primary factor limiting the size of the breeding population, we anticipate the restoration actions will likely result in an increase in breeding numbers but there may be a lag in response time. We also documented 18 shorebird species and 35 other avian species using the island during our surveys. Our results indicate that shorebirds as well as many other species of birds will readily use the newly restored habitat at Interstate Island, which is much needed in this important bird region. Continued monitoring and management will be necessary to determine long-term effects of restoration.
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    Lake Superior Common Tern Conservation Final Report
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 2016-12-22) Bracey, Annie; Niemi, Gerald J; Cuthbert, Francesca J
    Since its creation, Interstate Island has lost approximately two acres of useable tern nesting habitat, primarily due to wind and water erosion. In 2015, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) added 3,000 cubic yards of clean sand and pebbles to the island to mitigate the effects of erosion and fluctuating water levels, which has caused seasonal flooding of nesting sites. This restoration effort should make the island more suitable for nesting Common Terns, although more restoration work is needed. Interstate Island is a Wildlife Management Area jointly managed by the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources (DNR), with the primary objective of providing suitable nesting habitat for colonial waterbirds. Since 1990, this has been the only nesting location of Common Terns in the St. Louis River Estuary with roughly 200 breeding pairs. Interstate Island is also the primary breeding location of Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) in the area, with an estimated 13,000 breeding pairs. The rapidly increasing population of Ring-billed Gulls has drastically reduced available breeding habitat for Common Terns. This species competes for breeding space with terns, depredates eggs, and preys on tern chicks. In some years the colony has had total nest failure, primarily due to intense predation by gulls.