Maine Audubon » Plovers and Terns

Piping Plovers Return Early to Southern Maine

msmith — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:56:23 +0000

Maine Audubon asks beach goers and beachfront landowners to be aware of nesting plovers

Maine Audubon reported today that several piping plover nesting pairs have returned to southern Maine beaches. All beachgoers and beachfront landowners along the coast should be aware of nesting plovers, but particular caution is required at beaches where pairs are currently active, including Fortunes Rock Beach (Biddeford), Goose Rocks Beach (Kennebunkport), Ogunquit Beach, Wells Beach and beaches in Kennebunk.

Piping plovers are listed as an endangered species in Maine and are threatened under federal law. Plovers nest in front of sand dunes on the upper beach and are vulnerable to natural predators, roaming pets, storms and human disturbance. Maine Audubon encourages beachgoers and landowners to reduce human-caused mortality of plovers by leaving y our pets at home when you go to the beach, staying away from roped off plover areas and to watch where you are walking on the beach, to avoid stepping on nests.

If you find a plover nest, or would like to volunteer for the Piping Plover Project, please contact Laura Minich Zitske at lzitske@maineaudubon.org or (207) 781-2330 x226.

Learn more about Maine Audubon’s Piping Plover Project:

Traczie Bellinger, Maine Audubon seasonal biologist, will show a short video and slide show about the Piping Plover Project at several locations throughout southern Maine this spring:

April 16, time TBD, York Public Library
April 25, 6:30pm, Scarborough Public Library
May 9, 6pm, Biddeford Library

Piping Plover/Least Tern Project Outreach Specialist/Southern Maine

Maine Audubon — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:43:54 +0000

Part-time outreach specialist works with a team of biologists, municipal
and state officials and others to activate the community in conserving endangered
piping plovers and least terns in Maine. Duties include conducting outreach on heavily
used beaches using table-top displays and games, guided walks and general education on
the beach, summer youth programs, and other outreach efforts. The position may recruit
and supervise volunteers as well as assist with management of these endangered birds.

This 24 hour per week position runs from approximately June 24 to August 16. Stipend
starts at $10/hr, extensive experience may negotiate.

The successful applicant will:

have demonstrated verbal communications skills, including public speaking skill
have passion for wildlife conservation and birds
ability to engage a variety of audiences in conservation and biology
work weekends, holidays, and some week days
walk extensively on soft substrates (sand beaches)
lift and carry heavy equipment (50 pounds or more) for up to a mile
have ability and willingness to work outdoors on beaches in all weather conditions
have clean driving record last 5 years
Bachelor’s degree preferred

To apply: E-mail cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references to
conserve@maineaudubon.org or send to PPLT Outreach Search Committee, Maine
Audubon, 20 Gilsland Farm Rd., Falmouth, ME 04105.

Status: Applications reviewed starting early April/Search done when position filled.

Maine Audubon is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Any job offers are contingent on a successful criminal background check.

Piping Plover Outreach

bwilson — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:43:51 +0000

In addition to management and other activities in the field, outreach is a critical component of the Piping Plover and Least Tern Recovery Project. Our team regularly organizes outreach sessions to talk with beachgoers, beach residents/landowners, local beach associations, lifeguards, police, school kids and others. The goal of our outreach program is to educate people about Piping Plovers on their local beaches–we tell them about the biology of the birds, the challenges they face, and what we can all do to help protect them.

In July and August, our team talked with two groups of elementary and preschool children at the Goose Rocks Beach Association summer camp. About 70 curious kids attended and showed a lot of enthusiasm for learning about these birds. Their questions were very astute, like “why do plovers pretend to have a broken wing when approached by people?” During the most recent session, kids enjoyed creating their own Piping Plover chicks made out of cotton balls and dry spaghetti (see photos). They also played a game to learn more about where plovers live, what they eat, and what likes to eat them. At the end of the sessions we handed out cool Piping Plover temporary tattoos. The first session was such a hit, that they requested another session the following month!

In addition to the above efforts, our team also regularly sets up a table near beaches where plovers nest to talk more informally with beachgoers about the birds.

So far this summer the Maine Audubon team has talked to over 3,700 people about Maine’s Piping Plovers. We are looking forward to continuing outreach activities next season and we encourage private associations and other groups whose activities are related to conservation or environmental education to contact us to organize educational talks and activities.

Written by Erik Ndayishimiye

Piping Plovers: After the rain comes the sun!

Maine Audubon — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:10:44 +0000

Recently, as our team was monitoring Seawall Beach in Phippsburg, we were once again rewarded by the sight of three freshly hatched plover chicks clustered together in a nest around the last egg that was just about to hatch. This was another of the many nests that have hatched during the past two weeks, and is always a welcome sight!

After a particularly adverse beginning of June that saw 22 out of 27 nests statewide washed out by storms and high tides, plovers were confronted with additional challenges as they attempted to re-nest. At Goose Rocks Beach, two adult plovers from two different nests were killed and eaten, most likely by a domestic cat. Not only did we lose these two adults from our small breeding population, but the remaining mates could not finish incubating alone, causing both nests to fail. Around that time on the same beach, another nest was predated by a weasel and it was unfortunately too late for the birds to attempt to re-nest. The high rate of predation by domestic cats and other predators on Goose Rocks Beach forced us to take down all the exclosures protecting these nests as our team suspected that the predators were keying in on the exclosures as a source of food. Thus, when a skunk family happened to walk by an unprotected nest that was due to hatch in a the next few days, the eggs made an easy meal and sadly, the nesting plover pair lost their second chance at raising chicks.

It is only now in mid-July that things on the plover beaches seem to be settling back to “normal” and the nests that were spared by the tides and predators have hatched chicks. We are currently in a plover “baby boom”! On some beaches, like Popham, if you pay attention you can see as many as 17 tiny chicks running up and down the beach feeding themselves. Maine beaches are currently host to 52 chicks, which is a lot for a state with only about 40 pairs and is unusually high for mid-July, by which time typically more chicks have already fledged.

Despite this good news, we cannot yet celebrate victory for this season. Although our plover population has shown great resilience so far by recovering from recent setbacks, the chicks are most vulnerable in their first weeks of life. We can help these chicks become fledglings by doing a few small things: please give the birds some space; fill up holes you dig on the beach (chicks and fall in and become trapped and die); fly kites away from plover areas (they can be mistaken for predators); and keep cats and dogs inside or leash dogs while on the beach. All it takes is a little awareness and respect to help these rare birds survive and thrive. We hope that everyone’s efforts will be rewarded by the knowledge that by the time our endangered Piping Plovers start migrating south in August, their numbers will have increased significantly. If we are lucky, some of this year’s fledglings will return in future summers to breed on Maine’s beaches.

Written by Erik Ndayishimiye

Video: Help Protect Maine’s Piping Plovers

Maine Audubon — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:41:17 +0000

Watch. Learn. Help.

A very informative video by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife introducing the piping plover in Maine, it’s habitat, the challenges this species faces, what we are doing and what you can do to help this bird species survive.

Read more about our efforts at the links below.

Tough Summer for Piping Plovers — a reminder to give them space!

Maine Audubon — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:47:45 +0000

Photo: Jim Fenton

It’s been a tough summer for Piping Plovers and plover supporters this summer. However- the season isn’t over yet!

The pairs that lost eggs in June’s big storm and neste again are hatching. Small chicks are a delight to watch; enjoy the from a distance and please keep your pets inside at this critcal time!

Using Fireworks on or Near a Beach? Please be Mindful of Nesting Plovers

Maine Audubon — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 20:22:42 +0000

The plover chick is about the size of a cotton ball! Photo by Bob Malbon

As you head out for your 4th of July celebrations Maine Audubon reminds you that if you are going to set off fireworks in towns that haven’t banned them to please refrain from doing so near endangered piping plover nests or the wire exclosures that protect them from predators. While many coastal towns have banned consumer fireworks, a few in southern Maine have not yet done so, and beaches in Scarborough and throughout York County are prime plover habitat. In any case, consumer fireworks are illegal to detonate on public property, which includes public beaches.

Last year at this time, before the current law went into effect, a tragic incident at Hill’s Beach led to the deaths of endangered plover chicks due to exposure after a pair of nesting adults abandoned their nest during a non-sanctioned evening fireworks barrage. Let’s work together to ensure history does not repeat itself in 2012. Be safe, have fun, but please be considerate of your neighbors and of endangered species like the piping plover. Thank you.

Kennebunkport Residents Vote to Ban Consumer Fireworks

Maine Audubon — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:37:10 +0000

Maine Audubon is pleased to report that Kennebunkport residents have voted overwhelmingly (550 to 254, more than a 2-to-1 margin) to enact a ban on the sale and use of consumer fireworks in the town. This is good news for endangered piping plovers, whose nests on southern Maine beaches took a major hit a couple of weeks ago during a recent heavy rain storm, which also coincided with astronomical high tides. In York County, where a majority of Maine’s 43 known pairs of piping plovers make their nests, Kennebunkport joins neighboring Old Orchard Beach and Biddeford in enacting local fireworks bans.

Certificate of Election – Town of Kennebunkport June 12, 2012

Heavy rain, and a heavy burden on piping plovers

Maine Audubon — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:39:05 +0000

Typical "exclosure" for protecting a piping plover nesting area

Storm damage to a piping plover protected nesting area

This past weekend was a difficult one for nesting piping plovers in southern and mid-coast Maine. The high tides and rain storms washed out many of the nests, burying eggs under the sand.

Following an early Spring, this year’s nesting season started earlier than usual given the birds a great head start. Recent weather events came at a time when some of the nests had already hatched, but many nests were due to hatch in the next couple of days. So far we are not aware of any casualties among the adult plovers, however we believe that at least 15 chicks were lost with the inclement weather. Only 5 nests remained intact in the State after the weekend weather, while 22 nests were lost from Ogunquit to Georgetown.

Piping Plovers have been known to renest after the 1st nesting attempt has failed and since it is still early in the season, we are hopeful that at least some of the birds will renest, but even so, they face additional challenges since those who renest will be incubating and tending chicks in the middle of the summer when beaches are more crowded.

Right now we are working hard to remove fallen exclosures and assess damage; we will keep you posted on our progress. We also encourage anyone who has any information about possible dead plover chicks or new nesting activity to contact us.

This is a good reminder of how fragile and vulnerable Piping Plovers are. We thank the beachgoers who respect our requests to stay away from nesting areas and keep their dogs on leash. We welcome and appreciate any questions you may have for us. After this recent weather setback, we really need everyone’s cooperation and assistance in order to help these birds overcome this hurdle and be successful this season. With just about 40 pairs now, more than ever, every egg counts!

Written by Erik Ndayishimiye

Maine Audubon Urges Kennebunkport to Approve Consumer Fireworks Ban

Maine Audubon — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 22:23:18 +0000

“Yes” vote on Question 6 on June 12 ballot would protect endangered piping plovers in critical habitat

Maine Audubon is urging Kennebunkport residents to vote “yes” on Question 6 on next Tuesday’s municipal ballot in an effort to protect piping plovers, a migratory bird species of which there are only 43 known nesting pairs in the state.

Of the few sandy beaches along the Maine coast, the ones in York County and in particular around Kennebunkport are critical nesting locations for piping plovers. A “yes” vote would ban the sale and use of consumer fireworks by individuals in the town.

The appeal comes in the wake of last Sunday’s severe rain storm that destroyed 20 existing piping plover nests and killed approximately a dozen chicks. It also follows an unfortunate incident in 2011 in which three chicks died when a pair of nesting adults abandoned their nest in the midst of a beach celebration by individuals at Hills Beach that included the launching of fireworks.

Piping Plovers are listed in Maine as endangered and listed as threatened at the federal level. Like many animal species, piping plovers are afraid of loud fireworks displays and may interpret them as a mortal threats requiring immediate evacuation of the nest, leaving behind unhatched eggs or defenseless chicks.

Officially sanctioned public fireworks displays can still be enjoyed with minimal disruption to the piping plover, however. The Town of Ogunquit has for the last two years staged beachfront fireworks displays that took into account nest locations and which followed guidelines issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is specifically the unplanned and random nature of individual fireworks displays that Maine Audubon advocates against in urging Kennebunkport residents to approve the fireworks ban on June 12.

Piping Plovers are shore birds that nest along beaches and have been on Maine’s endangered species list since 1986. According to the Maine Department of Inland fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW), only 7 nesting pairs could be found in Maine as recently as 1981. Through intense conservation efforts like those undertaken by Maine Audubon and MDIFW, their numbers – while still critically low – are only now starting to rebound.

Piping Plovers typically arrive on the southern Maine coast in late April and a breeding pair will produce three or four eggs, each of which has a gestation period of about one month. After hatching, another month will pass before the chicks are ready to take flight.

If a nest is disturbed or destroyed, whether by human neglect or natural phenomenon such as last week’s storm, the birds may attempt to create a new nest and lay more eggs. Thus fireworks displays around the July 4th holiday often take place just as adult birds are attending to chicks or are incubating their eggs, a task shared by both the male and female in a breeding pair.

According to federal law, people may face serious legal action including potential jail time of up to one year and fines of up to $25,000 for intentionally killing or harming piping plovers and their nests.