Black-bellied Plovers at Sandy Point

Although Black-bellied Plovers are probably the most widely distributed species of shorebirds in the world, this was the first time that I got a good look at them.  I had taken my nephew, visiting from Germany, on a whale watching cruise out of Newburyport. After our return mid-afternoon  there was still time to look for shorebirds at Sandy Point on Plum Island.


Returning to Newburyport harbor


On Sandy Point we came upon a row of birders with telescopes who were searching for the BlackSkimmers that had been reported in the area but had not been seen for the past couple of hours. We were in  luck in that the tide was going out exposing the mudflats and tidal pools where a flock of birds was feeding. Watching me photograph these birds would be boring for my nephew but I held out the promise of a meal at the fabulous Plum Island Grille. He stayed on the beach while I slowly made my way across dried mud toward the birds.



Black-bellied Plovers and a Semipalmated Sandpiper



Black-bellied Plovers and a Short-billed Dowitcher .


The majority turned out to be Black-bellied Plovers. Their plumage varies greatly by age from speckled gray and white in the juveniles to solid black from throat to upper belly in the adult male with silvery speckles on a dark back. In winter they molt into a nondescript ashy gray, only easily recognizable by their black axillaries.

Black-bellied Plover showing black axillaries

Short-billed Dowitcher and female adult Black-bellied Plover

Juvenile Black-bellied Plover

Adult female in front showing white intermixed with black on upper belly, chest and neck

Adult male Black-bellied Plover

 Black-bellied Plovers are vigilant,  always on guard, giving alarm and flying off as soon the perceive some disturbance in their environment. They are not easily approached.  Although much sought after as a game bird,  this wariness, along with their habit of not traveling in dense flocks, probably saved them from decimation by hunters. They breed in the high arctic but for the rest of the year they are present on all coasts world-wide. It is known for it's haunting call:

 Clip recorded by Bernabe Lopez-Lantus on 2/19/05 in Uruguay and downloaded from the bird song sharing site xeno-canto.org under the Creative Commons License.


At last we made our way back to Plum Island proper, just in time to grab a couple of seats at the inside bar of the Plume Island Grille for a hamburger for him and a salad with warm goat cheese on bread for me. Delicious!


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A Day on the beach with Piping Plovers

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 chicks

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The juveniles were feeding along the water line along with the adults.

Juvenile Piping Plovers

A juvenile stretching its wings

Adult Piping Plovers

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.

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!