Avian Point-Count/Callback Surveys Avian point-count and callback surveys were conducted during the breeding season on June 17th and 30th, 2021. Ten points were randomly distributed throughout the greater project area (Figure 2). At each point, a speaker was used to broadcast a pre-recorded playback. The first five minutes of the playback were of silence, (no calls broadcast) at which time the observer recorded the number of individuals of each species seen or heard using the habitat within approximately 100m. The passive period was followed by a period of playback where the calls of secretive marsh species (Black Rail, Least Bittern, Sora, Virginia Rail, King Rail, Clapper Rail, and Common Gallinule) were broadcast in 30 second intervals followed by 30 seconds of silence. During the callback period, the observer recorded any additional species that were seen or heard within the survey area.

Vegetation Surveys The vegetation component of the survey consists of a 50m-radius plot centered on the same point used for the point-count survey (Figure 3). In this plot, the percent cover of each community type present is estimated using the following cover classes: 0%, <1%, 1-5%, 6-10%, 11-25%, 26-50%, 51-75%, and 76-100%. Community types estimated using cover classes include low marsh, high marsh, salt marsh terrestrial border, brackish terrestrial border, invasives, pannes, open water, upland, wrack, and snags. In addition, the percent cover of dominant species within the plot (those covering more than 5%), was estimated to the nearest 5%. The vegetation plot is bisected by a 100m transect that runs toward the upland and water, along the wetland elevation gradient (Figure 1). Ten vegetation samples were taken along this transect at specific intervals (0, 11, 22, 33, 45, 56, 67, 78, 89, and 100m; Figure 2). At each sample point, a thin rod was inserted into the soil 50cm to the left of the transect. Each species that touched the rod was recorded, including whether conditions such as standing water, rock, wrack, bare ground, or algae were present.