Our Plover partners at Audubon received a call over the weekend that there was a Piping Plover at Coffins Beach with a broken wing. Plover Ambassador Deborah B located the Plover yesterday afternoon and Charlotte and I headed over to Coffins. Sure enough, its left wing was dragging on the ground but it appeared otherwise in good shape, foraging and running the length of the beach. It also seemed very bonded with another Plover, possibly a sibling.
Through Carolyn Mostello, the Massachusetts Coastal Waterbird Biologist with Mass Wildlife, we received clearance to rescue the Plover. Because Plovers are listed as a threatened species there are specific protocols that must be followed before handling the bird. Next we needed to get the go ahead from Tufts Wildlife Clinic that they could at this time accept the Plover.
After the all clear, Lis Kernan , Mass DCR Shorebird Recovery Program Coordinator, and I met at Coffins. We quickly found the Plover. Lis had brought two nets and she expertly guided me on how we could safely steer the bird into the nets. She was soooo fast and in no time, the bird was safely tucked into a waiting cardboard box outfitted with a soft towel, as was recommended by local wildlife rehabber Jodi Swenson from Cape Ann Inc..
As I was driving the little one to Tufts Wildlife Clinic in Grafton he/she began piping. It wasn’t the sharply piercing warning call Plovers make when stressed but the gentle sing-song piping that we hear when they are communicating with one another. I think it was calling to see if there were other Plovers in the vicinity. I responded (with words, not piping) and we seemed to have a back and forth conversation but then I wanted it to conserve its energy and stop piping. I tried singing lullabies to see if that would soothe its little soul, but he kept piping all along until the car stopped.
A very kind staff member, Patrick, was waiting at the clinic. He provided us with a case number so that we can check in periodically. If all goes well, it should take about three weeks for the broken wing to heal and then several more weeks to learn how to fly. I am afraid it will miss peak migration and see a road trip to North Carolina in our future 🙂
As Jamie from Audubon mentioned, today was a great example of cross-organization collaboration to help an injured creature.
The anticipated update for the 2025 season with these most beautiful and most vulnerable of mini beach friends I feel is finally ‘safe’ to write. I only write safe because we try very hard to find a balance between sharing information to help create an awareness about the Plovers and also not bringing too much attention to the nesting birds.
First off I would like to thank our outstanding crew of kind-hearted volunteers, especially our core group who sign up for shifts that are an hour or longer and come everyday. This summer we had a very extended season with the chicks (more about that below) yet despite that, they stuck it out to the very end. Thank you to Jennie Meyer, Paula and Alexa Niziak, Kim Bouris, Steve Spina, Sandy Barry, Deborah Brown, Barbara Boudreau, Jill Ortiz, and Marty Coleman. We’d also like to thank our subs Heidi, Velia, Sally, and Jonathan.
If you see these kind and caring people around town, please thank them for their dedicated wildlife conservation work that they do so graciously and so tirelessly.
Thank you to Lyra Brennan, Rose Caplan, Jamie Infanti, and all our Audubon partners. We saw a great deal of Emma this summer and she is wonderful, staying extra long hours in the summer’s heat to watch over the chicks. Audubon does such great work and are responsible for not only Good Harbor Beach, but many other shorebird nesting areas all along the Massachusetts coastline. We appreciate their thoughtful and action oriented responses so much, especially when it comes to some of the more serious issues that arise over the course of the season. With thanks and gratitude to Lyra, Rose, Jamie, Will, Emma, Charles, and Claudia.
Thank you also to Gloucester’s Joe Lucido, Tom Nolan, and the entire DPW Crew. These guys are amazing and are always working so hard to make our beaches safe and presentable. Despite the double load imposed on the Crew (because of the additional work they are doing during the garbage strike), they are ever present and so very much appreciated.
DPW Crew setting the roping in place n March
We’d also like to thank several gentlemen who are at GHB nearly every single morning, starting in the spring. While most beach visitors are still sleeping, these gentlemen voluntarily pick up the plethora of garbage found littering the beach leftover from the previous day. They ensure our beaches look pristine by the time the gate opens at 8am. Chris Cefalo, his brother Fred, Michael Cook (and there is a fourth gentleman whose name I don’t know), work tirelessly cleaning the beach, from the tiniest bits of plastic to hauling off the larger items like chairs, tables, umbrellas, and tents. If you see these gentlemen around town, please thank them for the good work they do.
And a huge shout out to all the many, many beachgoers who express interest in the Plovers, want to learn more, give the chicks lots of space, and respect the cordoned off areas.
Piping Plover Smooshies
One of the many gifts we receive as Plover Ambassadors is watching tiny baby birds the size marshmallows develop into beautiful little flyers. The clips are of Fierce Dad and FairFeathered Mom’s offspring; the first clip is of two-day-old hatchlings, the second clip is of two-week-old chicks, and the last clips of the three- and a half-week-old chick. When Plovers hatch they can feed themselves entirely independent of the parent however, they need to thermoregulate to keep warm (otherwise known as thermo-snuggles and smooshies). The birds instinctively know to tuck under Mom and Dad’s wing to keep warm.
The 2025 Piping Plover Season at Good Harbor Beach
The season started phenomenally well, with the earliest arrival ever of Super Dad and our footless Handicapped Mom. Fierce Dad also arrived on the very same day as this original pair. It is always a much anticipated and joyful moment when we begin to see the first Plovers returning, especially Super Mom and Dad. This resilient little pair are at least 11 years old. We know this because they began nesting at Good Harbor Beach in 2016 and Plovers have to be at least one year old before they can begin breeding. Each year its become more and more tenuous as to whether or not we will see the return of our wonderful original pair. Plovers only live on average 3 to 5 years and this pair, at 11 years young, are quite a respectable age for their species.
Piping Plover Courtship
Fierce Dad and Original Dad spent a good part of the first few weeks in competition for territory and for Super Mom, with Fierce Dad even putting the moves on Mom several times. At one point we had nine Plovers, and four were nesting pairs, the most ever! There were lots of territorial disputes, some ending in serious smackdowns but for the most part, the birds began to settle in to brood their eggs.Piping Plovers Mating
Original Mom and Dad’s clutch was nearing hatch date when on May 22nd, the coast of Massachusetts was walloped by a late season nor’easter. The tide rose higher than we have ever seen in late May and three of the four nests were washed away. As devastating as that was, it was a joy to find one remaining nest, the young parents that are a new pair to Good Harbor Beach. From their nest of three eggs, two chicks hatched.
Over time original Mom and Dad attempted to re-nest. After a brief recovery period, Mom laid a new clutch of three eggs. However, this second clutch of eggs was predated by a Crow. As the season progresses there are more and more Crows and gulls scavenging the beach, seeking garbage left behind by people. We know it was a Crow from the tracks found around the nest.
Remarkably Mom and Dad laid four more eggs, a grand three clutches, 11 eggs in total. Once again, the eggs were snatched and Crow tracks were found encircling the nest scrape. Our Handicapped Mom left shortly after the third nest was lost. Super Dad hung on for a bit longer but he too departed. All was not lost as the one remaining chick from the young parents grew and developed into a lovely, albeit super chunky, fledgling and has begun its southward migration. Note – we love super chunky fledglings. They’ll have lots of stored fat reserves to get them through their first migration.
FairFeathered Mom and one-day-old hatchling
Today we still have one almost-fledged chick remaining at Good Harbor Beach. This little chunkola is Fierce Dad and FairFeathered Mom’s offspring, from their re-nest. Because the eggs hatched so late in the season and the females usually begin migrating before the males, FairFeathered Mom left when her chick was only five days old, leaving Fierce Dad to raise the chick solo. Fierce Dad has lived up to his name, fighting off every gull, crow and even other shorebirds that dare to come within 100 yards of his offspring. He is still parenting the chick who is quite independent at this point. Nonetheless, the almost fledged chick still goes in for snuggles and smooshies and relies on Dad to keep the gulls at bay.
Along with a great bounty of seaweed washed in with the late May nor’easter, the seaweed was littered with zillions of pieces of small yellow and green plastic
Just as has happened at GHB this summer, nests were washed out along the entire coastline of Massachusetts. With many pairs re-nesting, the conservation biologists from every Mass coastal region saw much lower productivity with these second nests, and in some cases (Super Mom and Dad), third nests. What does low-productivity mean? Not as many eggs were laid and of the eggs that were laid, fewer than usual hatched. So, for example a second clutch with only three eggs, only one or two of the eggs may hatch. And all coastal areas across the region experienced higher than usual heavy predation by Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls, Crows, and Eastern Coyotes. My own theory for that is because when chicks hatch in May for example there are far fewer flocks of seagulls on the beach. But when chicks hatch in July and August, Crows, Gulls, and Coyotes are acclimated to finding free food, i.e. garbage, at the beach, which leads to greater interest in shorebird eggs and chicks. Also at this later time in the summer, there are thousands of hungry fledglings on beaches begging their parents for food.
We are hopeful that next year we won’t have another late, late nor’easter and all the pairs that attempted to nest at GHB this season will return and try again. If you would like to join our volunteer team of Plover Ambassadors, please contact me either by leaving a comment or emailing me at kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com. We would love to have you!
If you would like to learn more about how we can all help protect shorebird wildlife and their habitats, please watch our film The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay. Our documentary is streaming on the PBS Passport AP anytime you would like to watch it. Everyone can become a member of PBS Passport by donating to PBS. It’s so worthwhile, especially for young children with curious minds. What other streaming service can you get for $5.00 a month!!
According to the Gloucester City ordinance code, it is a $300.00 fine (doubled during the season) to bring a dog to Good Harbor Beach. For example, if you bring two dogs, that is 600. x 2 = $1200.
But stating the fines right off doesn’t explain why.
Health and Safety
Our beaches are wonderfully filled with beachgoers during the summer months. Can you imagine adding dogs, either on or off leash, to the mix? Dog ownership is at a record high, much greater than even a generation ago. In 2000 there were roughly 68 million pet dogs, today there are about 90 million dogs. What if everyone who owns a dog brought theirs to the beach?
Let’s face the facts, a great many dogs are not on voice command. We have dogs jumping on children, knocking over the young and old, biting people, and getting into dog fights and biting each other. That is not a safe scenario for any beachgoer.
But what if the law were changed to allow dogs on leash?
We would have half abiding by the leash law and half saying “I left my leash at home,” or “I thought it was okay to let my dog off leash after 5pm,” or “I thought it was okay before 8am,” etc. etc. How do we know this? Because we already hear these statements during the off leash/on leash days at Good Harbor Beach.Pile of poop at the Good Harbor Beach snack bar area
Good Harbor Beach Footbridge
Dog Poop is a consequential environmental issue. During the season when dogs are allowed on the beach we see the gamut of poop-maintenance behaviors. Most people clean up after their pet. However, many people bury the poop in the sand or leave their poop bags behind. When someone leaves their bag by the footbridge, then other dog owners take it as a sign as a place to deposit their bag. The pile of dog poop in a rainbow color of bags grows and grows. Do we want beachgoers stepping in sand covered poop or being confronted with piles of dog poop? There is no poop cleaning fairy. It is left to our awesome DPW or one of the very nice volunteers, like Chris Cefalo, his brother, and Michael Cook who regularly cleans GHB to remove garbage and also the bags of poop.
Keeping Dogs out of the Dunes During the Growing Season Helps Protect the Dune Ecosystem
If you regularly visit Good Harbor Beach during the off season, you can’t help but notice, the “Keep out of Dunes” signs are frequently ignored by pet owners. There are many who do respect this vital habitat, but also many who don’t. Dogs running and playing vigorously through the vegetation tears at the roots and weakens the plants. Vegetation holds the dune sand in place and without plants the dunes continually recede.
Over the past several years, you may also have noticed the vast improvement in the overall health of the dunes. There is a direct correlation to keeping the symbolically roped off areas up through out the summer season and into the fall because by preventing people and pets from recreating right up to the base of the dunes, it allows just that much more room for vegetation to take hold, and is one fantastic tool in the tool box against fighting erosion.
Dog going pooh within nesting area
Keeping Dogs off the Beach Helps Nesting Shorebirds Survive
Last, but not least, dogs on the beach are a well-known threat to shorebird nests and especially to young birds that can’t yet fly to escape danger.
How so you may wonder? “My dog is so sweet and would never harm a baby bird.”
When there are baby birds on the beach, the Plover parents do their absolute utmost best to keep the chicks safe. The parents exhibit all sorts of distraction behaviors including dragging and fluttering their wings on the ground to fake injury, thereby encouraging the predator to follow it and drawing the threat away from their most vulnerable chicks.
Plovers cannot tell the difference between a domestic dog, Fox, or Coyote. Dogs bound exuberantly on the beach through nesting areas and Coyotes and Fox dig in the sand for eggs and chicks. The ever vigilant Plover parent will leave the nest and fly at any creature Canid. Often, both parents will fly away from the nest in a sort of tag team distraction method. But while they are busy defending the chicks from a member of the dog family, that is the perfect time for a gull, crow, hawk, or falcon to swoop in and snatch the eggs or eat the baby chicks. Crows focus on eggs and gulls not only eat the eggs, they also eat chicks at every stage of development, even fledglings that have grown as large as the parent. Coyotes eat both eggs and chicks.
Especially during pupping season, Red Fox scavenge the beach looking for shorebird eggs, small mammals, and birds to feed their growing family. Plovers cannot distinguish the difference between a Coyote, Fox, or domestic dog.
Fierce Dad and FairFeathered Mom tag team distracting a Herring Gull
As I am writing this message, please know that we still have young birds at Good Harbor Beach that can’t yet fly well enough to escape predators. This is extremely late in the season and is due to the tremendous loss of nests during the May Nor-easter; losses all along the coast of Massachusetts. Many of the nesting birds eventually re-nested and we are seeing their offspring. Shorebird managers across Massachusetts are contending with taking care of these late flying chicks.
Here are on Cape Ann we are blessed with many beautiful alternative locations to walk our dogs, including Crab Beach (adjacent to the Boulevard), which is open year round to dogs and dog owners.
If you would like to see scenes of Plovers displaying their fascinating distraction techniques and learn more about predators on beaches, please watch our film The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay, which I created specifically for people to learn more about how we can all help protect shorebird wildlife and their habitats. Our documentary is streaming on the PBS Passport AP 24/7. Anyone can become a member of PBS Passport by donating to PBS. It’s so worthwhile, especially for young children with curious minds. What other streaming service can you get for $5.00 a month!!
As I first wrote, it is a $300.00 fine and doubled during the season to bring dogs to Good Harbor Beach, so please dog owners, for your sake, for the health of the beach ecosystem, and for the safety of growing shorebirds, please do not walk your dog at Good Harbor Beach or any beach where there is precious habitat and baby birds. Thank you!The No Dogs from April 1st through September 30th signs are boldly displayed at every entryway to Good Harbor Beach
I hope you are having a lovely summer. I am so looking forward to these last three weeks of August and then we go into the wonderfully atmospheric months of September and October. Is there anywhere in the north Atlantic region where these months aren’t sublime?
I have held off on writing about PiPls all summer because we have had some very late season nesters. I’ll share an extensive report about the Plovers when I feel its safe for them and they are well on their way to fledging. In the meantime, I am very delighted to write that our Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay has been accepted to the New Hope Film Festival and is screening on Monday, August 18th at 6:00pm. We are sharing the billing with another animal welfare documentary, The Ramba Effect, about an Asian Elephant and her 2,550 mile journey to her new home at an elephant sanctuary. If you are in the New Hope area and would like to see The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay and The Rhamba Effect, please go here: https://www.goelevent.com/NewHopeFilmFestival/e/AnimalWelfareDocumentaries
We also have all new Plover Lover T-shirts in all sizes and a great color, a sort of light sea green. For fans of West Coast Snowy Plovers, these chicks could easily pass for Snowy Plovers too. Please let me know if you like the new color. They are a beautiful quality, all cotton, unisex sizing from xs to xl. The Tees are 30.00 plus 5. shipping.
We have had some adorable “Butterballs” on the beach this summer. I define a Butterball as a fledgling that is so pudgy it looks nearly as big, if not bigger, than its parent and barely seems as though it can become airborne. Rest assured these Butterballs do fly, eventually ❤
Screenshot
Common Tern fledgling squawking to parent, “Feed Me, Feed Me, I’m Starving!”
Fairly frequently when coming onto Good Harbor Beach to check on the Plovers, we find the birds off their nests and in utter panic. I have learned over time that there is only one reason why the birds along the one mile stretch of beach are frightened enough to leave their nests, in unison. Sure enough, in a moment or two, you hear the drone’s whirring motor first and then observe as it passes over the protected areas of the beach. Usually not one go-around, but the operators make repeated passes over the birds. Whether zooming at top speed or hovering, the Plovers are terrified by these modern day avian predator-like cameras.
It is illegal and considered harassment under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to operate a drone over breeding areas. People are either unaware, feign ignorance, or even worse, are aware and simply don’t care. Countless times we have come onto our shifts to find all the birds in the area in complete meltdown mode. The birds think the drone is a predator that has come to eat their eggs, chicks, or themselves. There are even instances where a bird has flown after the drone and becomes injured. Today a man told me he was fully licensed to fly his drone over Good Harbor Beach. Drone operators need to understand that state, federal, and local ordinances supersede any licensing permit (see below for Good Harbor Beach regulations regarding drones).
There is accumulating evidence that the mere presence of drones causes direct harm to birds, not just during breeding season. The unfamiliarity and noise interrupts courtship, mating, and feeding. Entire tern and heron colonies have been abandoned due to drone disturbances.
Plover in crouched position, frightened by overhead drone, and off her nest
This past spring there was a political rally at Good Harbor Beach. We thought it tremendous that people were gathering in support of their views and the birds had absolutely no problem with the steady stream of people entering the beach from all directions. However, the representative’s organizers began preparing a sign that could be read only from an aerial pov, which meant they intended to fly a drone over the beach. We asked the organizers to please not fly the drone but they ignored our pleas and told us the drone was only going to fly over the water and the drone would only be on the beach for a few minutes. Of course we knew that would not be the case and sure enough the drone flew repeatedly over the dunes, disturbing every bird along the entire length of the beach. After fifteen minutes of sounding their alarm calls, all the birds on the beach flew off in unison. The drone was documented flying low over the beach for 45 minutes. Clearly, a beach with nesting birds is not the place to hold a rally if a drone is part of the equation, particularly when there are other locations as easily accessed.
Over millennia, nesting birds evolved with the constant threat of avian predators, including hawks, falcons, crows, gulls, and eagles. They have not adapted to understand that a drone is not a predator, no matter how much the drone operator protests that the birds are unbothered by the drone and have become used to its presence.
It is imperative for the safety of the birds that they have a healthy fear of drones. The last thing we want are nestlings thinking that hovering airborne shapes are nothing to be afraid of.
In our collective experiences monitoring the Plovers, we come across unethical behavior not only on the part of drone operators but also by fellow wildlife enthusiasts. We have seen photographers mashed up against the symbolically roped off areas, despite massively long telephoto lens, parking themselves for hours on end, and also following the birds relentlessly up and down the beach, despite the bird’s clear signals it is trying to get away and/or tend to its chicks. Early on in the pursuit of my dream to document wildlife, I was part of crowds that photographed owls. Observing how sensitive are owls, I no longer film owls in known locations. If I come across an owl or rare bird when out filming, I take a few photos and footage and go on my way. Crowds and hovering persons are also the reason why I no longer post specific locales and keep location information general.
To ethically document wildlife requires thought and is also a tremendous responsibility. We can all do our part to protect the beautiful creatures in our midst by being mindful and sensing their boundaries, especially, especially during the time of year when they are breeding.
Thank you for taking the time to read this information. I hope your question is answered, and why. Please share this post. Thank you 🙂
Many thanks to City Councilman Scott Memhard for helping me locate the regulations on the City’s website!
City of Gloucester Good Harbor Beach Regulations for Model Airplanes, Radio Controlled Aircraft, Drones
Good Harbor Beach Parking Lot
1. Permitted to fly only when beach parking lot is not in operation (no attendant on duty).
2. Restricted to times when pedestrian and vehicle traffic are at a minimum.
3. Not permitted before 8:30am.
4. Shall fly over the parking lot and marsh areas, not the road or beach.
5. Noise levels will be restricted to an acceptable level (non-flow thru, expansion chamber mufflers only).
6. Pilots shall fly in a safe and responsible manner at all times.
7. Pilots will be responsible and liable for their actions.
8. Pilots will abide by regulations in effect and maintain a safe environment.
9. Pilots will be considerate of wetlands and wildlife.
We have wonderful news to share. Our Good Harbor Beach Piping Plovers are returning! Not only that, but the original pair that have been nesting at GHB since 2016 were the first to arrive. Both Mom and Dad appeared on the very same day, March 19th, the earliest date ever. At this time of year, my husband and I check the beach daily so that we can track from year to year when Plovers begin arriving. Last year I believe it was March 25th.
Super Dad and Handicapped Mom, March 19, 2025
A Plover love story for the ages is how my friend Todd describes it when Plover pairs nest together for many years. These two sweet Plovers must be at a minimum of 11 years old because Plovers don’t begin breeding until they are at least one year old. Eleven years is quite a ripe old age for Plovers as most live on average only five years. We wait with a combination of fear and excitement each spring, hoping and praying our Plover family makes it through another winter, especially now that Mom’s right foot is missing. She lost her foot several years ago after nylon fishing line and seaweed became tightly wound around her lower leg.
When you think about it, we have been through so much with this little Mom and Dad. The first several years especially were extremely challenging. Beachgoers did not yet understand how to help protect the birds and pets had the run of the beach. In fact, conditions were so bad on the beach that in 2018 Mom and Dad decided ‘enough with dog disturbances,’ and the safest place to nest was the GHB parking lot. Because of this, Massachusetts State and US Federal wildlife officials became heavily involved with helping to protect Gloucester Plovers and the local government began to take Plover protections more seriously. Little by little, things began to change for the better.
I remember our tender little handicapped Plover, nicknamed HipHop for his gimpy walk. It was Mom’s first season breeding without her right foot and she was extremely clumsy when transitioning to get in and out of the nest and when she was snuggling the chicks. I think she must have injured HipHop somehow because his injury manifested itself when he was about ten days old. Mother and chick were quite the pair with their hip hopping gaits. We thought HipHop would never grow to the size of his siblings and wondered if he would ever be able to fly. Mom departed early as is not unusual for females to begin migrating before their mates. Our Super Dad stayed with HipHop for many weeks after and throughout the entire summer. Both departed around the beginning of September, but not until HipHop was flying just as well as his siblings.
Dean Horne, Brian Watson, John Trupiano, and Adam Kelley installing Piping Plover protections
Thank you to the Gloucester DPW crew for installing the symbolic ropes and Plover signs. We appreciate everything the DPW does to keep Plovers safe and our local beaches looking beautiful!
If you happen to see Plovers on the beach, please give them lots and lots of space. Know that they are weary from the long migration and need to rest and refuel before ‘setting up house.’
Piping Plovers are returning to beaches all along the Atlantic Coast. The addendum to this note is for several new Plover friends from beaches in Maine and New Jersey who have written to ask how they can better help their community’s Plover families successfully fledge chicks.
Happy Spring from Ploverville!
Warmest wishes,
Kim
Actions that communities and beachgoers can take early in the season to help Plovers successfully breed include the following. I can not stress ‘early in the season’ enough. The earlier the Plovers nest without disturbances, the earlier they will begin laying eggs, and the earlier the chicks will fledge and begin migrating.
1) Disallow all pets on the beach, ideally beginning March 15th, April 1st at the latest.
2) Install symbolic roping around known Plover nesting areas by March 15th.
3) Install informational signage on beaches where Plovers nest by March 15th.
4) Do not permit off-road vehicles on beaches where shorebirds are nesting.
5) Do not rake the beach. Beach raking destroys a vital food source and machines can scoop up and kill chicks that can’t yet fly out of the way of danger.
6) Respect symbolically roped off areas. Do not play ball close to the roping. It is against state and federal law to run into the nesting area to retrieve a ball or for any other reason. Do not allow pets to run through the roped off areas and do not cross the roped off areas to take shortcuts through the dunes.
During my recent trip to Los Angeles, our daughter provided wonderful opportunities for us to take several joyous expeditions to see Western Snowy Plovers. I write joyous because we thought we would be fortunate to see one or two, when we actually saw severalhundred!
Snowy Plover (left), Piping Plover (right) – some key field mark differences at a glance – Snowy Plovers have black or gray legs, compared to the PiPls orange legs and feet; the beak of the SNPl is longer and solid black whereas the PiPls is beak is orange and black. Snowy Plover’s headband and collar band are not as pronounced. Piping Plovers lack the black eye patch.
We came across three breeding colonies; the largest was located on a relatively remote beach with an estuary bordering the northern end of the sandy dunes. We observed that Snowy Plovers share many similar traits to Piping Plovers including their love for invertebrates, both land and marine. PiPls and SnPl are visual feeders and utilize the “run-stop-peck” foraging method. Like Piping Plovers, Snowy Plovers display much territorial behavior towards one another and I imagine when the breeding season gets fully underway, there will be a great many more disputes.
One notable difference is the Snowy Plovers communal “in-unison” bathing habit, which was absolutely charming to observe. A flock of 100 or so were foraging on kelp flies in the wrack when they all took off over the water, circling round several times in an exquisitely beautiful flight pattern before landing on the pebbly banks at the mouth of the estuary. After a few moments of seeming to observe whether it was safe or not to bathe, one by one they began entering the water, then in small groups, then even greater numbers joined the Plovers that were already in the water. Some were bathing singularly in the puddles made by rocks in the tide pools but for the most part, they were in the estuary creek dipping and splashing all along the banks. At one point I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening as they appeared to be continuing their onshore battles while they were bathing.
Snowy Plover drying wings after bathing
Another very notable difference is the bird’s vocalizations. The Snowy Plover’s song is more of a ta-wheet interspersed with sweet trilling chirps, rather than the penny whistle call of the Piping Plover. It was too windy to capture a really good audio recording, but you can hear the flock in the background of the bathing scenes in the video. To hear more variations in their birdsong, go here: Snowy Plover’s vocalizations.
Unlike Piping Plovers and many species of shorebirds, Snowy Plovers have no aerial flight display. Snowies also routinely have two broods, sometimes three, with three being the average number of eggs, as opposed to the PiPls four eggs. Typically about a week after hatching, mom pairs up with another male to begin establishing a second nest, leaving dad alone to raise the chicks.
Both Snowies and PiPls have similar predators including falcons, raccoons, coyotes, owls, crows, and ravens. And both species have been negatively impacted by extensive loss of habitat and human caused disturbances, most notably dogs crushing eggs and disturbing nesting areas. We observed volunteer docents at the nesting sites reminding scofflaw dog owners that dogs are not allowed at Snowy Plover breeding locations. California has approximately 3,400 miles of coastline and 420 state beaches. It’s unfortunate that despite the near limitless access of beaches to beachgoers that permit pets, dog owners still allow their dogs to run freely through the comparatively minuscule (area-wise) nesting sites.
There are only about 2,000 Western Snowy Plovers that breed along California’s coast, from San Francisco to the Baja. The West Coast population is deemed a Threatened Species. At one time it was thought there were tens of thousands nesting at more than fifty breeding locations along the Pacific Coast. Today, there are only a handful of coastal nesting sites. Nationwide, there are approximately 24,000, compared to the total Piping Plover population, which is roughly 13,000 to 14,000 birds. You can also see Snowy Plovers along the Gulf Coast. Some nest there while others have migrated from their summer breeding grounds.
Please join us Sunday, March 23rd at 4pm, at MAGMA for a Piping Plover film screening and fundraiser. We’ll have much to talk about! Please R.S.V.P. and let us know if you are planning to come as we are providing refreshments. I hope to see you there!
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. In its first 50 years, the ESA has been credited with saving fully 99% of listed species from extinction, thanks to the collaborative actions of federal, state, and local agencies, Tribal governments, conservation organizations, and private citizens. Read here for some very notable successes.
Bald Eagle Soars Over Gloucester
From the US Department of Interior, “The Act has saved hundreds of species from extinction and continues to protect and preserve some of our most beloved animals and plants. It has also helped to create a better understanding of how human activities can impact the environment and how we can work together to protect it. Perhaps most importantly, this anniversary is a reminder that conservation efforts are essential for stemming the worsening impacts of climate change, protecting biodiversity and preserving our planet for ourselves and future generations.”
Did you know that when the ESA first listed the Piping Plover, in 1985, there were fewer than 4,000 breeding pairs nationwide? Today, in Massachusetts alone, we are currently hosting over 1100 nesting pairs. Our PiPl Friends at the New York City Plover Project were recently featured in “Ten Stories of Hope: The Endangered Species Act at 50” a new report by the Endangered Species Coalition. To read more about Plovers and all of the stories of hope, you can download a pdf of the article here.
Building on the success of Piping Plovers in recovery, please consider making an end of the year tax deductible donation to our ongoing documentary funding efforts for The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay. Your contribution goes directly to the cost of finishing the film and is absolutely invaluable!
We are deeply appreciative of every gift given, small and large. For large contributions, your name and organization’s logo is prominently displayed at the beginning and end of the film, with opportunities for up to 30 second promotional spots. Please feel free to call or write with any questions regarding sponsorship.
With gratitude to the following PiPl friends for their kind contributions – Lauren Mercadante (New Hampshire), Jennie Meyer (Gloucester), Alice and David Gardner (Beverly), JoeAnn Hart (Gloucester), Kim Tieger (Manchester), Joanne Hurd (Gloucester), Holly Niperus (Phoenix), Bill Girolamo (Melrose), Claudia Bermudez (Gloucester), Paula and Alexa Niziak (Rockport), Todd Pover (Springfield), Cynthia Dunn (Gloucester), Nancy Mattern (Albuquerque), Marion Frost (Ipswich), Cecile Christianson (Peabody), Sally Jackson (Gloucester), Donna Poirier Connerty (Gloucester), Mary Rhinelander (Gloucester), Jane Hazzard (Georgetown), Duncan Holloman (Gloucester), Karen Blandino (Rockport), Duncan Todd (Lexington), Sue Winslow (Gloucester), Amy Hauck-Kalti (Ohio), JoAnn Souza (Newburyport), Karen Thompson (San Francisco), Carolyn Mostello (Rhode Island), and my sweet husband Tom 🙂
I hope you are having a joyous holiday season. If you live in the area, please be sure not to miss Gloucester’s Lobster Trap Tree. It’s extra magnificent this year, with 400 traps to honor Gloucester’s 400th anniversary. The tree is fancifully decorated with hundreds of buoys hand painted by local kids. Very generously, the traps for the tree were permanently given to the community by Jim Knott, CEO of Riverdale Mills, with the labor for making the traps donated by Brooks Trap Mill. Every year the tree is built by David Brooks, Shawn Henry and a fantastic group of local volunteers.
The clip is of a young Plover chick and his Dad. I love watching the little ones pop up from the warming wings of an adult. You never know what direction they are going to zoom off to but often enough, they stretch their tiny developing winglets and give a yawn after emerging from thermo-snuggling.
This is just one of hundreds of clips from our forthcoming documentary. Film finishing editing is going beautifully and we are planning to have a cut ready to submit to festivals in January.
Please consider making an end of the year tax deductible donation to our ongoing film funding efforts. Your contribution goes directly to the cost of finishing the film and is absolutely invaluable!
We are deeply appreciative of every gift given, small and large. For large contributions, your name and organization’s logo is prominently displayed at the beginning and end of the film, with opportunities for up to 30 second promotional spots. Please feel free to call or write with any questions regarding sponsorship.
With gratitude to the following PiPl friends for their kind contributions – Alice and David Gardner (Beverly), JoeAnn Hart (Gloucester), Kim Tieger (Manchester), Joanne Hurd (Gloucester), Holly Niperus (Phoenix), Bill Girolamo (Melrose), Claudia Bermudez (Gloucester), Paula and Alexa Niziak (Rockport), Todd Pover (Springfield), Cynthia Dunn (Gloucester), Nancy Mattern (Albuquerque), Marion Frost (Ipswich), Cecile Christianson (Peabody), Sally Jackson (Gloucester), Donna Poirier Connerty (Gloucester), Mary Rhinelander (Gloucester), Jane Hazzard (Georgetown), Duncan Holloman (Gloucester), Karen Blandino (Rockport), Duncan Todd (Lexington), Sue Winslow (Gloucester), Amy Hauck-Kalti (Ohio), JoAnn Souza (Newburyport), Karen Thompson (San Francisco), and my sweet husband Tom 🙂
Thank you so very much for your support and for seeing the tender beauty in the life story of the Piping Plover.
The Piping Plover Project 