Environmental report: Vandals destroy endangered bird nesting site in Mission Bay

As if the seabirds that live in Mission Bay didn’t have enough to do besides fireworks, boaters and jet skis, vandals reportedly broke into a protected nesting area for endangered bird species at Mariner’s Point over the weekend.

According to a press release from the San Diego Audubon Society, a nesting site of the endangered California Little Tern at Mariner’s Point was severely damaged on the night of Friday, July 19.

“All items on site were either scattered, broken or thrown into the riprap (a layer of boulders that surrounds the shoreline) and the bay,” the press release said. “Worse still, nests in the sanctuary were disturbed.”

Cristina Santa Maria, conservation manager at San Diego Audubon, said she saw at least two nests trampled and the four eggs inside smashed.

Andrew Meyer, conservation director for San Diego Audubon, said he was puzzled by the timing of the event after the organization blamed SeaWorld San Diego and Discover Mission Bay’s Fourth of July fireworks displays for causing terns on another island further north in the bay to abandon their nests and die. The organization called on the city and state to revoke SeaWorld’s fireworks permit for the entire breeding season, which ends in September.

“We are certainly wondering if anyone has expressed their opinion on our commitment to the California little terns,” Meyer said.

Meyer confirmed that police were aware of the incident but had not yet identified any suspects.

Photos taken Saturday show uprooted signs warning people not to enter or trespass on the nesting area. Bird-watching umbrellas used by researchers to monitor tern activity were thrown toward the water and dozens of clay roof tiles laid out on the site to provide shade for the chicks were smashed with rocks. Vandals also tore up the protective fabric fence that surrounds the island and prevents the chicks from falling into the water, Santa Maria said.

Mariner’s Point is one of four protected nesting sites for the endangered birds in Mission Bay. It lies west of Quivira Point and occupies the rest of the peninsula south of Mariner’s Point Park. The City of San Diego and the U.S. Department of Agriculture also manage the nesting sites.

These seabirds are protected under both California and federal law. According to the San Diego Audubon Society, San Diego County contains about 60 percent of the birds’ total nesting sites in the state. The shy shorebirds like to raise their young in the sand dunes along the coast between April and September, but coastal development has reduced their range. According to Meyer, there are only about 4,000 nesting pairs left.

Joe LaCava, chairman of the San Diego City Council and Environmental Committee, in whose district the nesting sites are located, said last week that he would investigate events over the Fourth of July weekend that affected little terns on West Ski Island, a non-protected nesting site.

“It is disturbing that among the many threats to an endangered species like the California Little Tern, they are victims of this disturbing incident of vandalism at their protected nesting sites,” said LaCava. “I am grateful for the quick response of the City Rangers, the Audubon Society and our partner agencies who alerted the San Diego Police Department and ultimately held the individuals accountable for their reckless actions.”

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