Monday, July 19, 2010

A Day on the beach with Piping Plovers


Adult Piping Plover


It was the best day of summer: blue skies with wispy white clouds, a broad expanse of sand with the  tide out, a breeze to take the edge of the heat and flocks of small shore birds running along the tidal shore, flying up, settling down again to extract morsels from the wet sand.

After a 2.5 hours drive I had arrived  at the Sandy Point parking lot on Plum Island at about 7 AM, a couple of hours before the Sunday crowds. Colored tape had been put up to keep people off the sandy center of the peninsula to protect nesting birds and chicks. At some distance I saw a couple of chicks running around in the sand, whereas the juveniles and adults were out along the shore line.

Piping Plover chick

Piping Plover chicks

Piping Plover chick
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The juveniles were feeding along the water line along with the adults.

Juvenile Piping Plover

Juvenile Piping Plovers

Juvenile Piping Plover

A juvenile stretching its wings

Adult Piping Plover feeding

Adult Piping Plovers

Adult Piping Plover

Piping Plovers as a species are a globally threatened. The birds pick bare or sparsely vegetated sand for their nest sites, exposing them to all kinds of human beach activity. They have largely disappeared from their former breeding grounds on the Great Lakes. To protect them, all beaches in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge are closed throughout the breeding season. The tip of Plum Island is not part of the refuge however and the beach is open, accessible by boat and by car through the refuge. The sandy center of that spit of land, as I mentioned above, has been cordoned off though.

Google Earth Map of Plum Island

Getting the right camera setting was very difficult. The bright light and glare made the screen black and the histogram, just barely visible, is of no great help with the stark contrast of the harsh morning sun. I have hesitated for a long time because of the expense but after this trip I determined I just have to spend the money on a Hoodman Loupe that would allow me to adjust the settings without guessing.

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Birding!

17 comments:

  1. What lovely birds, and pictures too. They are so few places where they still breed in the east, it's great to see them succeeding.

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  2. Wonderful photos of the PIPL - I'm watching the bird reports and may try to get over the PI next week. Time for shorebirding.

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  3. Thanks Janet, thanks Harold.
    Thanks, Chris. I was wondering where you were. Working on some project? See you at Hollie's.

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  4. Aww-how cute. Those babies sure have quite a life ahead of them. Great job, Hilke

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  5. Lovely images Hilke... beautiful little birds to see. The Little-ringed Plover I see is similar.

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  6. I will be keeping an eye out for Piping polvers along the shores of Lake Huron Hilke. Thank goodness we are aware of their crisis, I hope we can help with their recovery. Thanks for these wonderful images and the important information!

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  7. Great photos of these birds. That is another shorebird that doesn't migrate down this way to Australia. I photograph mainly shorebirds during the southern summer when they are here and the bright light on the sandbanks is a constant challenge. Lots of trial and error and then remembering the settings for next time!

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  8. Great post Hilke. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  9. Great shots, Hilke! I just love these cute Plovers.

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  10. Great shots of the Plovers and chicks!

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  11. Lovely images and an informative post... thanks so much for sharing... especially like the first image!

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  12. WHAt fun it must have been to watch those small Chicks run around!! BEEN a long time since Ive seen a plover of any kind!! I think your setting were excellent!! Great shots.

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  13. Beautiful photos of the plover and chicks.

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  14. Awesome shots of the Piping Plovers Hilke! That juvie stretching its wings, marvelous!

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