Fight or flight: Battle against plover extinction continues

At Westport beaches, volunteers and birds continue their protection efforts for the piping plover

By Kristen Ray
Posted 8/2/18

For many, the return of summer means the start of beach season; lifeguards return to their post, locals and tourists alike enjoy strolls along the beach, taking in the ocean breeze. But for the …

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Fight or flight: Battle against plover extinction continues

At Westport beaches, volunteers and birds continue their protection efforts for the piping plover

Posted

For many, the return of summer means the start of beach season; lifeguards return to their post, locals and tourists alike enjoy strolls along the beach, taking in the ocean breeze. But for the piping plover, the warmer months brings about another fight for survival.

Since 1986, the piping plover has been placed on the endangered species list by the federal government. Hired by the town, the Allen Pond Wildlife Sanctuary has been monitoring these birds on Cherry and Webb Beach and working hard to ensure their continued role in our ecosystem.

For months leading up to the breeding season, those at the sanctuary spend an hour or two most days of the week tracking the plovers, watching their movements and noting their preferred spots along the coastline. Then, on April 1, the fences go up—  blocking public access to the birds’ nesting areas.

“We work for the Town, not the National Parks Service, so we have to balance between recreation use and protecting the plovers on the beach,” said Lauren Miller Donnelly, property manager of the Allen Pond Wildlife Sanctuary.

While this may mean making some minor concessions — such as decreasing the amount of space between the nesting site and fence line in order to strike this balance on one of Westport’s most popular beaches, Ms. Donnelly and intern Michaela Barcelos are no less serious about preserving the plover’s well-being. Signs can be found all along the fence line discouraging trespassing.

Danger: People, animals, weather

Still, the threatened birds have more to fear than the average beachgoer. Predators such as foxes and coyotes pose real threats, as does climate change.

“This year we were lucky, but the frequency of storms is an issue,” said Ms. Donnelly.

Despite these roadblocks to preserving the piping plover, Massachusetts has served as a success story for the rest of the East Coast with its rigorous Habitat Conservation Plan, the only one of its kind. By forcing beach managers to come up with plans for handling instances like plovers nesting in parking lots— something that happened recently at Horseneck Beach — the state alone was able to increase the birds’ number of breeding pairs from just 139 in 1986 to 666 in 2013.

While beach traffic is heaviest during the time these efforts are taking place, the community is supportive of the Sanctuary’s efforts.

“People are always coming up to me asking how the plovers are doing,” said Ms. Barcelos. “It’s pretty rewarding knowing that people care.”

It takes a village

There is plenty that people can do themselves as well in order to assist with the piping plovers’ wellbeing. Avoiding bringing pets on the beach near nesting areas, as well as being cautious while jogging can help. Refraining from lighting bonfires on the beach and not instigating the adult birds (there had been a call earlier in the season about someone waving their towel at a pair of least terns and causing a scene) will also benefit the birds.

Still, Ms. Donnelly says it’s important for the piping plovers to learn how to adapt, too. They’ll have to, in order to hide their nests and secure their survival. For this season, two chicks were able to make it from the three nesting pairs inhabiting Cherry and Webb Beach.

With the continued efforts of the Sanctuary, the community and the adherence to the HCP, this number will hopefully only continue to grow.

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