[Posted by Chuck Almdale, suggested by Lucien Plauzoles]

This article, containing an embedded 9-minute video, was spotted by our Santa Monica Beach Western Snowy Plover roosting area maven, warden and censuser (there’s a mouthful), Lu Plauzoles. It details what’s going on up in San Francisco Bay with the rehabilitation of the former salt ponds and their large population – most recently 321 birds – of breeding Western Snowy Plovers. In 2023, the total world (aka our west coast) population of these birds was only 2,336, up from 2,014 in 2016, 1,817 in 2005, and under 1,000 in the 1980s; that makes this current SF Bay population 14% of total WSPs. Not a heck of a lot when compared to the number of people or chickens in California.

Of the total project area, which at around 15,000 acres is slightly larger than the size of Manhattan, anywhere from 50%-90% of ponds will be reverted back to wetlands. Those remaining will be kept dry for the plovers or rehabilitated into deep and shallow ponds for waterfowl.

As the Bay Area’s salt pond restoration project moves forward, a tiny threatened shorebird remains under the watchful eye of biologists [Link to article]

The pivotal project restoring salt ponds to wetlands will also reduce habitat for the western snowy plover as its population is rising. Inside the balancing act to keep plovers on the Peninsula.
by Magali Gauthier July 24, 2025 7:45 pm

Busy time on the salt flats.

RWC stands for Redwood City, in case you were wondering.