21 Jun My Site: Ormond Beach!

Hello fellow bird lovers!

I have recently started my internship on May 24th, and have been enjoying every day on site thus far! Before my internship began, I visited my site many times this year from volunteering with the Ventura Audubon Society. My site is located on Ormond beach and Hollywood beach in Oxnard, California. My favorite time to visit my site is the early morning, it is most beautiful then. The photo to the right was taken on March 27th at around 9:00 AM and it’s my favorite photo I have taken at Ormond beach. As you can see from the

photo, the beach is just breathtaking and I encourage everyone to visit their local beaches in the morning to have a positive start to your day. For me, visiting the beach and volunteering has always been such a great start to my day and I am excited to be spending so much of my time on the beach this summer!

About Ormond Beach

The two endangered/threatened bird species that migrate to the beach during their nesting season are the Western Snowy Plover and the California Least Tern. Both of these species tend to nest in the dune habitats, the photo to the left depicts where these habitats are located in regards to the beach. Most of the habitats are protected with mesh fences or rope to keep people out of their respective habitat. The signs near these fences display the importance of these threatened and endangered birds, advise visitors to look out for nest sites on the beach as well as take the necessary precautions of not entering their habitats, and communicate the repercussions for these actions. During my internship I will be monitoring nests and the tideline

on the weekdays. On the weekends, I will be informing the public about the birds and their nesting session along with ensuring beach-goers do not bring their dogs or other animals on the beach. This is very important to ensure the birds are protected and can safely repopulate on the beach. I hope everyone gets the chance to learn about their local beach biodiversity whether it be Ormond beach or another beach. It is so important to educate yourself on these environments to ensure that you are making personal choices that protect the surrounding species rather than endangering them. I look forward to taking my part in educating others about Ormond beach this summer, I will keep you all updated!