| What | Why | Where | Birds | Plants | Geology | Restoration | Issues |
Return to Top.Return to Top.Return to Top.Return to Top.Return to Top.Return to Top.Return to Top.Return to Top.Return to Top.Return to Top.What is an Important Bird Area?
An Important Bird Area (IBA) is a place of significance for the conservation of birds, chosen using standardized, credible criteria based on biological common sense. Important Bird Areas include sites for species during breeding or non-breeding seasons, and form part of the integrated Partners in Flight approach to conservation that embraces sites, species, and habitat protection. See the American Bird Conservancy for more information about Important Bird Areas.
Why were Virgin Creek Beach and Ten Mile Beach and Dunes designated an Important Bird Area?
The area comprising Virgin Creek Beach and Ten Mile Beach and Dunes qualified as a "...Nationally Significant Important Bird Area, due to the habitat it provides for wintering Western Snowy Plover, a threatened species, with high counts there totaling over 1% of the population. There is a strong potential that this area might become again an important breeding area for the species. In addition to the plover, several watch listed species make use of the area regularly; these include Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, and Short-billed Dowitcher." Robert M. Chipley, Ph.D., Director, Important Bird Areas Program, American Bird Conservancy, 17 August 1999
Where are Virgin Creek Beach and Ten Mile Beach and Dunes?
Virgin Creek Beach and Ten Mile Beach and Dunes are within MacKerricher State Park. Virgin Creek Beach comprises a quarter mile of coastal strand with a fresh water outlet, Virgin Creek. Access to Virgin Creek Beach is from a trailhead on the west side of Highway 1 at approximately milepost 63.75 , or via the old Haul Road north from Pudding Creek or South from Laguna Point. Unofficial access can also be found from Highway 1 at a "surfer's parking lot" and across the privately-owned field to the west. Ten Mile Beach comprises approximately four and a half miles of coastal strand and foredunes of the Inglenook Fen-Ten Mile Dunes Natural Preserve, at the northernmost end of MacKerricher State Park. Access to Ten Mile Beach is from the west end of Ward Avenue, then north along the old Haul Road; or from a small dirt parking area on the southwest side of the Ten Mile River bridge on Highway 1, then north along a small trail crossing private land, and west on the old Haul Road.
Birds of the IBA
Wintering Shorebirds
Black-bellied PloverWestern Snowy Plover * Willet Whimbrel Marbled Godwit Black Turnstone Surfbird - VC Sanderling Rock Sandpiper - VC |
Migrating Shorebirds
Semipalmated PloverGreater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Wandering Tattler - VC Long-billed Curlew * Ruddy Turnstone Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Dunlin Short-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher Red-necked Phalarope Red Phalarope - TM |
Other Birds of Concern
Brandt's Cormorant *+American Bittern * - TM Snowy Egret Northern Harrier *+ White-tailed Kite *+ Killdeer+ Black Oystercatcher *+ Western Gull *+ Burrowing Owl * California Horned Lark * Song Sparrow *+ |
| *-population status Watchlisted or higher, +-breeds in IBA or nearby VC - only at Virgin Creek Beach, TM - only at Ten Mile | ||
Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus
Western Snowy Plovers can be found at both Virgin Creek Beach and Ten Mile Beach. You must look closely in order to see them, as their backs are the color of the sand, and they hide in depressions in the sand with only their heads popping out. Snowy Plovers are often mistaken for Semipalmated Plovers, which are larger, darker, and have yellow or orange legs and a complete dark band across the breast. The Western Snowy Plover is a threatened species because of loss of breeding habitat due to human competition and invasive plants, and because of increased predation by introduced predators and predators whose range is expanding due to human activity. On-line resources about the Western Snowy Plover:
* Snowy Plover information from the USGS
* USFWS Endangered Species information, Western Snowy Plover
* State of California Department of Fish and Game Special Birds: status designations.
Numenius phaeopus
Whimbrels are one of the two largest wintering shorebirds on the Mendocino Coast (the other being the Marbled Godwit). Their size, grayish-brown coloration, long decurved bill, and striped crown distinguish them from other shorebirds. Whimbrels are sometimes confused with Long-billed Curlews, which are bigger, buffier, and lacking a striped crown. Although adult Long-billed Curlews have much longer bills than Whimbrels, the bill of immature Long-billed Curlews may be scarcely larger than that of a Whimbrel. The Whimbrel population was severely depleted by market hunters in the late 19th century. On-line resources about the Whimbrel:
* USGS Whimbrel Identification page, with links to life history, maps, etc..
Arenaria melanocephala
Black Turnstones are dark, chunky, rock-loving shorebirds, which look rather drab in the winter until they fly, revealing a striking black and white pattern on their wings and back. They have a delightful chittering call that will become familiar to you as you spend time birding on the Mendocino Coast. Although more often found foraging on rocks, Black Turnstones will also clamber over piles of beached seaweed in search of insects attracted to the rotting kelp. Less likely to be seen here is the similar Ruddy Turnstone, which has orangish legs rather than the dark legs of a Black Turnstone.
Some data suggest that numbers of Black Turnstone in the Pacific Northwest have been declining in the last two decades.
On-line Resources about the Black Turnstone
* USGS Black Turnstone Identification page, with links to life history, maps, etc.
Circus cyaneus
The Northern Harrier has been called "Hen Harrier", "American Harrier", and "Marsh Hawk." Birdwatchers often call the Northern Harrier "the great pretender" because it is easily mistaken for other raptors. The Northern Harrier is a hawk, but has "facial discs" like those of an owl. Adult males are grey, with black and white touches, similar to a White-tailed Kite; adult females are streaky brown; and immature birds have a reddish breast, of a hue similar to Red-shouldered Hawks. Northern Harriers are exciting to watch as they course low over flat grassy areas, searching for prey. Northern Harriers have disappeared from many of their former nesting areas, and surveys suggest that their numbers continue to decline in parts of North America.
On-line resources about the Northern Harrier
* Raptor Facts from the Raptor Center, University of Minnesota.
* Northern Harrier ID, with links to other information, Patuxent Bird I.D. page, USGS.
Plants of the Ten Mile Dunes
The Inglenook Fen - Ten Mile Dunes Natural Preserve supports a number of native plant species that are endangered, threatened, or proposed for listing. The only known population of Howell's Spineflower, Chorizanthe howellii, is located in the Ten Mile Dune system and vicinity. Because the entire range of this species coincides with the proposed trail (see below), impacts from the proposed trail include possible extinction of Howell's Spineflower. Menzie's Wallflower, Erysimum menziesii, is a federally listed endangered perennial. Round-headed chinese houses, Collinsia corymbosa and North Coast phacelia, Phacelia insularis var. continentis also have limited distrubutions, including the Ten Mile dunes.
Rare, Threatened, or Endangered Plants of the Ten Mile Dune System
listed by:Latin name; Common name; Lifestyle; Blooming season; Habitat; Plant family.
- Arenaria paludicola; Robinson Sandwort;FW Marsh.
- Calamagrostis bolanderi; Bolander's Reed Grass"; Perennial herb (rhizomatous); June-August; BgFns, CCFrs, CoScr, Medws, MshSw(freshwater); Poaceae.
- Campanula californica; Swamp Harebell; Perennial herb (rhizomatous); June-September; BgFns, CCFrs, CoPrr, Medws, MshSw(freshwater); Campanulaceae.
- Castilleja mendocinensis; Mendocino Coast Indian Paintbrush; Perennial herb; April-August; CBScr, CCFrs, CoPrr, CoScr; Scrophulariaceae.
- Castilleja affinis ssp. littoralis; CoBScr, CoScr, CoDns; Scrophulariaceae.
- Chorizanthe howellii; Howell's Spineflower; Annual herb; May-July; CoDns, CoPrr (sandy area); Polygonacea.
- Collinsia corymbosa; Round-headed Chinese Houses; Annual herb; April-June; CoDns; Scrophulariaceae.
- Erysimum menziesii ssp. menziesii; Menzies's Wallflower; Perennial herb; March-June; CoDns; Brassicaceae.
- Hesperevax sparsiflora var. brevifolia; Short-leaved Evax; Annual herb; April-June; CBScr, CoDns; Asteraceae.
- Horkelia marinensis; Point Reyes Horkelia; Perennial herb; May-September; CoDns, CoPrr, CoScr; Rosaceae.
- Phacelia insularis var. continentis; North Coast Phacelia; Annual herb; March-May; CBScr, CoDns; Hydrophyllaceae.
- Key:
- BogFns - Bogs and Fens
- BUFrs - Broadleaf Upland Forest
- CBScr - Coastal bluff scrub
- CCFrs - Closed-cone conifer forest
- CoDns - Coastal dunes
- CoPrr - Coastal prairie
- CoScr - Coastal scrub
- FW Marsh - Freshwater marsh
- Medws - Meadows(moist) and seeps
- MshSw - Marshes and swamps
- RpFrs - Riparian forest; Nearly Extinct
The Mendocino Coast Audubon Society is grateful to Teresa Sholars, Professor of Biological Sciences, Science Coordinator, Mendocino Coast Campus,College of the Redwoods, for information regarding sensitive and rare plants of the Ten Mile dune system.
On-line resources about coastal dune plants:
* CNPS Manual of California Vegetation. Scientific definitions of plant associations, with species lists, photographs, and range maps:
- 1. European beach grass Series
- 2. Pampas grass Series
- 3. Iceplant Series
- 4. Native dunegrass Series
- 5. Sand-verbena -- beach bursage Series
- 6. Yellow-bush lupine Series
Geology of the Ten Mile Dunes
The Ten Mile Dunes occur in one of the most tectonically active region on earth, the North Coast Range of California. Sea floor spreading and plate tectonics have caused the coastline to be periodically tilted and compressed. During the Pleistocene epoch (Ice Age), most of the coastline was uplifted during several tectonically active periods separated by periods of relative stability. During the latter, rising seas cut beaches into the coast and falling seas deposited sediments, which were washed down from the uplands, onto the beach. During periods of tectonic activity, the beaches were raised above ocean level and became terraces. In this epoch, a large coastal faultblock was apparently tilted, with the lower end at the Ten Mile River and the upper end near the Garcia River. In the Ten Mile Dune area, the older terraces have been eroded away, and only the youngest, about 50 feet above mean sea level, remains. Inglenook Fen, A Study and Plan, State of California Department of Parks and Recreation, June 1977.
It is along the Pacific coast, and more especially the northern half of the Pacific Coast, that the truly spectacular dune areas are found. Because of a fortuitous combination of geologic and climatic factors, no other dune area in North America offers such a range of dune forms and landscapes. Wiedemann, Alfred M. 1984, The Ecology of Pacific Northwest Coastal Sand Dunes: A Community Profile, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service FWS/OBS-84/04, p2.
Restoration Efforts
Virgin Creek Beach
Students of the 7th Day Adventist School have undertaken restoration of a part of the dunes of Virgin Creek Beach.
Ten Mile Preserve
The California Department of Parks and Recreation is undertaking a large European Beach Grass removal project starting in 2000. Contact State Parks ecologist Renee Pasquinelli for more details. Art Morley has almost singlehandedly removed all the Pampas Grass from the Ten Mile Preserve. On 17 Jan. 2000, the Cynthia LeDoux, the Regional Environmental Manager for the Mendocino County Office of Education, organized a dune restoration workday that was attended by over 40 persons. They worked on a dune area near Ward Avenue. The Mendocino Coast Audubon Society has adopted Ten Mile Beach in the California Coastal Cleanup program. On California Coastal Cleanup Day, several other organizations and individuals help clean up both Virgin Creek Beach and Ten Mile Beach.
Current Issues
Invasive Plants
European Beach Grass, Ammophila arenaria, was planted at the Ten Mile Dunes in an attempt to stablize the dunes and prevent sand from drifting across the Haul Road and Highway 1. While this may have been partially successful, the European Beach Grass has adversely affected the ecology of the Ten Mile beach and dunes. European Beach Grass outcompetes native beach plants and causes the slope of the beach to increase, making the strand unihabitable for the Western Snowy Plover. Pampas Grass or Jubata Grass, Cortaderia jubata, a plant popular in landscaping, also outcompetes native plants, and if unchecked, creates an environment devoid of native plants or birds.
Links to information about invasive plant control:
* The Nature Conservancy's Element Stewardship Abstract on European Beach Grass.
* The Nature Conservancy's Element Stewardship Abstract on Pampas or Jubata Grass.
* The California Exotic Plant Pest Council's on-line brochure about Jubata Grass and Pampas Grass.
The Ten Mile Coastal Trail
In June 2000 the Mendocino Sector State Parks Superintendent, Greg Picard, announced that the State Department of Parks and Recreation would not pursue the construction of the portion of the proposed ISTEA Coastal Trail project from Ward Avenue to Ten Mile River. The decision was based on the feasibility study by EDAW, detailed plant and animal inventories, public involvement, and letters and consultations with regulatory agencies. Picard also stated that there are many complex sensitive environmental issues associated with the proposed trail segment from Lake Cleone to Ward Avenue, and that complex and time consuming regulatory compliance would be required to complete this trail segment as well. State Parks planned to modify the original ISTEA grant to a trail project from Pudding Creek (including the trestle) to the Lake Cleone area. State Parks intended to pursue trail improvements from Lake Cleone area to Ward Avenue as a separate project. Additionally, State Parks intended to continue the process of planning and working with regulatory agencies to provide acceptable trail and coastal access in the dune area. Greg Picard wrote "It is the department's objective to provide appropriate environmental protection while affording meaningful recreational access. We wish to thank the community for its continued participation in this lengthy planning process." [Fort Bragg Advocate News, June 13, 2000]
More information about Ten Mile Coastal Trail issues:
* The Ten Mile Coastal Trail Foundation Website.
Shorebird Disturbance at Virgin Creek Beach
Virgin Creek Beach is very popular for surfing, beachwalking, and picnics, as well as for birdwatching. Unfortunately, if done thoughtlessly, these activities can disturb the shorebirds (including Snowy Plovers) who are feeding, resting, and breeding on the beach. Please respect the needs of the shorebirds, who have few other places to go, while you are enjoying the beach. Please keep your dog on a leash and do not allow children to chase the birds. When watching birds, try to observe them at a distance from which you will not cause them to fly.
