Greetings from the Coastal Birds Crew! It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through the survey season. So far, it’s been full of surprises, both good and challenging. We faced our first big challenge in May when a rare, spring nor’easter washed out 30 Piping Plover nests. Once the storm passed, our team jumped into action and began repairing the damaged management areas and resuming our monitoring efforts so we could make sure the birds had enough space to recover. Luckily, the resilient birds that lost their nests have almost all renested and some are already hatching chicks. Good job team and good job birds!
For the third year in a row, there are Piping Plovers on Maine’s islands! The birds returned to Chebeague and Long Island for their third season and, for the first time, we have documented Piping Plovers on Richmond Island. This was a wonderful surprise and we hope that the birds will continue to nest on these islands for years to come.
The biggest and most exciting surprise so far has been the sheer number of Piping Plovers that we’ve observed on Maine’s beaches: 174 pairs (and counting!). This is a record high population for Maine, especially considering that there were only 10 pairs of Piping Plovers in the state when we first began monitoring these birds in the 1980s. The Coastal Birds crew has also recorded more than 100 chicks so far, with many more due to hatch in the coming weeks, which is a good sign for another productive year. And these chicks are growing up fast! As of last week, 24 fledglings have been spotted making their first (slightly clumsy) attempts to stretch out their wings and take flight.
With so many chicks on the beaches, we would like to remind folks of some simple, bird-friendly beach etiquette!
• Please respect all posted stake and twine fencing by keeping your distance and setting
up your blankets and umbrellas well away from the fenced areas.
• If you dig a big hole in the sand, definitely take a picture to save the memory and then fill it in at the end of the day so flightless chicks won’t fall in and get stuck.
• If you plan on flying kites, pick a day when the wind is blowing offshore (out to sea) so
the plovers don’t mistake the kite for a flying predator.
• If playing catch on the beach is your go-to summer activity, please make sure to play far away from all fenced management areas to avoid a stray ball or disc disturbing the birds.
Also, with the Fourth of July coming up, please remember that consumer fireworks are illegal to launch on many public beaches and may be subject to fines of up to $500 (more info from the state can be found here). Fireworks pose significant risks to wild animals, especially birds. The loud sounds and flashing lights can cause birds to panic, sometimes to the point of abandoning their eggs or chicks. So please keep your combustible celebrations off the beach! Read more about fireworks and wildlife from Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox here >
Thank you all for being Piping Plover Protectors! This work would not be possible without the support we receive from our amazing volunteer coordinators, volunteers, landowners, government partners, and mindful beachgoers.
Photos by Kaily Rich, Field Technician, Coastal Birds Project
