LAKEPORT — Surprise is the usual reaction from people who have never seen a baby grebe, sometimes two, being ferried around on its mother”s back.
For the past two years, the nesting grebes have been scarce on Clear Lake, perhaps because of lower quantities of the small fish that serve as food for the grebes or disturbances of nests due to boating or wind action. But this year the baby grebes are back.
Audubon California has been awarded grant funding for a four-year Grebe Conservation Project for which Gary Langham, Director of Bird Conservation, obtained.
Clear Lake is one of the lakes being monitored for nesting grebes, under the coordination of Marilyn Waits, President of the local Redbud Chapter.
The monitoring leader is Floyd Hayes, Ornithologist, Professor of Biology, Pacific Union College with the assistance of his students and family members.
His report notes that many grebe nests have been built on floating weed mats in open areas, instead of tucked back in the tule stands where they are more protected and buffered from wind and wakes produced by boats. This makes the nests particularly vulnerable to wave action created by boats and high wind.
To remind boaters to slow down near the nesting areas, 5 mph lighted buoys have been placed in protected wildlife areas, such as the entrance to Rodman Sough.
Staff from the Department of Water Resources and Hayes are placing buoys where the nests are the most vulnerable to eggs rolling off because of higher-than-normal boating activity over the Labor Day Weekend.
The buoys will be removed when nesting season is completed.
“I think most people will slow their boat down if they know the wake is causing the eggs to get dislodged from the nest” said Greg Hanson, who lives in Corinthian Bay, an area where grebes are nesting on the weed mats. “People don”t understand that the slow speeds are to help the baby grebes and the mothers trying to hatch them”
Boaters are also being encouraged to slow down when they meet groups of grebes out on the open lake. Many of these grebes will have their chicks riding on their backs and instead of diving they will try and swim away.
The grebes with their young are susceptible to being hit by a power boat.
The quagga mussel volunteer rangers will be monitoring the public ramps over the long Labor Day weekend.
The rangers will be on duty from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at all the major ramps around the lake. They will checking all boats and other watercraft to make sure they have the current inspection band or quagga mussel sticker attached to their boats.
Those who don”t have a band or sticker will be directed to the nearest quagga mussel screening station to obtain the stickers or bands.
According to Carolyn Ruttan of Water Resources, more volunteer rangers are needed.
For more information on the program or to volunteer call 533-3641 or e-mail to locquaggarangers@gmail.com.
