Right Now, On the Beach
A weekly, season long look at the piping plovers and least terns nesting across four sites on the island, and what it’s taking to help them stick around. Updated as the team sees it happen.
SPECIES CODES
These are the standard four-letter codes used in our field notes and reporting to DEC. You may see them used throughout this page and in our weekly updates.
- PIPL – Piping Plover
- LETE – Least Tern
- AMOY – American Oystercatcher
Scroll down for the full story at each site, in the order it happened.
#1 Eighth Hole Beach
A small, sheltered cove that’s mostly sand with very little rock. It’s quickly become one of the most reliable piping plover nesting spots on the island.
March 31st – 2 adults Piping plovers were spotted foraging
April 9th – symbolic fencing installed with NYSDEC
April 20th – Scraping and courtship display from Piping Plovers
May 4th – Piping plover nest confirmed
May 12th – 1 Piping plover pair foraging observed foraging and nesting
June 2nd – A full clutch (4 eggs) of Piping plover eggs confirmed
June 10th – Observed a third plover on the site further down foraging
June 22nd – 4 Piping plover chicks hatched, brooding observed under adult plover. Chicks are 3 days old.
June 24th – 4 Piping plover chicks still on site. Chicks are 5 days old.
June 26th – 4 Piping plover chicks still on site. Chicks are 7 days old. Observed a significant amount of human and wildlife disturbance.
July 1st – 4 Piping plover chicks still on site. Chicks are 12 days old.
#2 Middle Farms Beach
Tucked behind private property, this site already stays quiet without needing fencing, which is exactly why the birds like it.
April 6th – 1 adult Piping plover spotted foraging
April 20th – Finally a Piping plover pair spotted foraging
April 23rd – No shorebird activity. Pair is possibly foraging at another site?
May 19th – 2 adult Piping plovers spotted for the first time in awhile. Also observed a few Ruddy turnstones and 1 Least tern foraging.
May 26th – a total of 4 Piping plovers spotted foraging, 1 pair nesting
June 2nd – A full clutch (4 eggs) of Piping plover eggs confirmed
June 17th – still 4 plover eggs with pair. 1 adult nesting while other is foraging
June 19th – still 4 plover eggs with pair. 1 tern at the site was observed sitting on the plovers nest. This usually means the birds are nesting close to one another and the tern has either mistakenly claimed the neighboring nest or is attempting to incubate the eggs, often confusing them with its own.
June 26th – 1 plover pair with 3 chicks. Chicks are 7 days old.
July 1st – 1 plover pair with 3 chicks. Chicks are 11 days old. 1 tern pair with a nest and 1 egg.
#3 Big Club Beach
Wide, soft sand set back from the tide line makes this some of the best plover habitat on the island.
April 6th – 1 adult Piping plover spotted foraging
April 14th – No shorebirds spotted
April 20th – 1 adult Piping plover pair observed foraging
April 28th – Full courtship observed by plover pair: scrap, goose-step and coupling
May 7th – pair moved to other site of beach and nested in a hidden spot
June 10th – 4 Piping plover chicks with adult pair observed. Chicks are 4 days old.
June 12th – high disturbance of sand grating. 3 plover chicks observed with active adult pair. Chicks are 6 days old
June 22nd – 3 plover chicks still observed. Chicks are 16 days old
June 26th – 3 plover chicks with active adult pair. An American mink was spotted very close to chicks. Chicks are 20 days old.
July 1st – 3 plover chicks with active adult pair. Chicks are ~25 days old. Fuzzy downy feathers still present and observed them stretching their little wings. Almost ready to fly!
#4 South Beach
A heavy wrack line make this stretch one of the island’s most important nesting areas for shorebirds.
March 29th – First sighting of 2 adult plovers foraging
April 6th – pair observed foraging, off-leash dogs present.
April 20th – a total of 4 plovers observed, 2 pairs. One pair inside fencing
April 23rd – 2 adult plover pairs. Territorial display, pacing, soft calls near fencing.
May 4th – a Piping plover nest confirmed
May 19th – 3 plover pairs observed! 1 pair nesting in the fencing. 1 Least tern pair spotted.
June 1st – Only 1 plover pair was seen and this pair hatched 3 chicks. Chicks are around 4 days old. Least tern pair nesting.
June 2nd – No plover chicks observed with adult pair. Chicks are gone. Possible human or wildlife disturbance. Pair will be restarting on 2nd nesting attempt soon. Least tern pair still has its nest with 2 eggs
June 10th – Pair of plovers starting to work on the 2nd nesting attempt. Hoping to see eggs soon. Least tern nest still active with 2 eggs. Another pair of terns showed up and displaying courtship behavior.
June 17th – the plover pair has a full clutch (4 eggs). Least terns still active and vocal with one of the two pairs that has 2 eggs.
June 22nd – Plover pair with full clutch still. Least tern pair hatched 2 chicks. Least tern chicks around 5 days old. The other tern pair still has no nest.
June 26th – Plover pair with full clutch still. Least tern pair still has 2 chick. Chicks are 9 days old.
July 1st – Plover pair with full clutch still active nesting. Least tern pair still has 2 chick. Chicks are 14 days old. The second Least tern pair is starting to nest!