Piping Plover: The Bird Stories 2011.

Cape Henlopen State Park Piping Plover ( aka PIPL) Bird Police Duty-gig 2011 ended this week with the youngest chick fledging; flying the required 50 yards. The Piping Plovers having done their job are ready to party Southward, many to call the Bahamas their Winter Resort.

Time for me to Party TOO! Time to celebrate the PIPL success and the 125 hours of "Bird Stories".

Finding the PIPL Story Line was what kept me glued to my " At The Ropes ( actually it is twine) Spot". In my third year of duty: I had a clue! Amazing to me, this season I recognized individual PIPL-s.

This was the year our Bahama-Banded PIPL Male, having successfully nested on The Point just for fun would fly in ~ one mile to The Ropes just to duke it out with PIPL glamour couple, Beckham and Posh! One witnessed fight lasted a little over one hour.

Beckham and Posh nested early and failed and then nested late and succeeded; chick mentioned above. The late nesting cost them their nearest foraging cove which was claimed in the interim by the Parents of Sturdy Chick.

Sturdy Chick as a baby was hilarious-fun; loving to rest in upturned Horseshoe Crab Shells and loving water. Once this baby was swamped by wave action, came out fine and a bit stunned. The Parent was FLIPPED-OUT and instructed the chick to not repeat the incident. One week later Sturdy Chick was Wise To The World. Another week later the Sturdy Chick showed out-right teen-age aggression towards The Parents!

Bird Police duty is keeping the public OUT of the Federally protected area. This year I cultivated my own little fleet of "GOOD Kayakers" to yell at "BAD Kayakers" who disdain to enter the closed areas. Good Work, Kayak Team!

PIPL: Hope one day I see you in The Bahamas!

We Are Family! Piping Plovers!

The anticipation was big! Promised from Summer 2009, we all awaited our "Piping Plover Watch" Tee-shirts!!! What would it look like? How would we feel with "VOLUNTEER" emblazoned on our backs? Would the public care???? Would it make our job easier??? And more importantly would my extra large size allow my cute beach skirt to poke thru???

We tried on and purchased the shirts right in the Cape Henlopen State Park, The Point parking lot. I modeled and twirled on the runway.

I threatened to write on the front: BIRD POLICE.

As that is what we do.

There we all were now all looking alike in our sandy colored shirt: Piping Plover's Human Family!

After my five hour gig off I went to celebrate, show-off and cool-off at Lewes' King's Ice Cream for a Lemon Ice.

Beach Blessings,

"What I did this Summer" or Beachnester Final Summary 2009 via DE's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program

Beachnester Final Summary 2009

October 2, 2009

Piping Plover

The piping plover 2009 nesting season was generally successful, although there is plenty of good habitat at Cape Henlopen State Park that could support more pairs of nesting plovers as the years progress. There are also other sites that have suitable habitat for plover nesting.  These sites will continue to be monitored. Also, in 2009, productivity for the plovers was fairly good, although an increase in numbers of chicks fledged is a reasonably attainable goal for future seasons.

 

There were ten pairs of piping plovers nesting at Cape Henlopen this season, which matches our record high from 2008.  From these pairs, 13 chicks fledged, a vast improvement over our fledge numbers in 2008 (3 chicks fledged) but just short of the record high number of chicks fledged (14 chicks in 2003).  As has been the case in recent years, Cape Henlopen is the only place in Delaware where piping plovers nested in 2009.

 

Least Terns

Least terns had another tough year breeding in Delaware.  It has been over five years since least terns have been observed to have fledged chicks in Delaware.  This season, four small colonies of least terns established in Delaware.  Two were at Cape Henlopen, one was at South Bowers Beach and one was at Fowlers Beach.  All told, there were just under 20 pairs of least terns nesting in Delaware this year.  A combination of frequent floods associated with tidal surges and predation caused the failures of the least tern colonies.

 

American Oystercatcher

American oystercatchers nested on shores of the Delaware and Inland Bays and at Cape Henlopen on the Atlantic Coast.  Due to the remote nature of the nesting sites on the Delaware and Inland Bays, attaining solid data on nest success was not possible with the level of staffing currently available, although oystercatcher chicks were observed on Middle Island which is just west of the Indian River Inlet.

 

The two oystercatcher pairs nesting at Cape Henlopen were closely monitored while staff was in the process of monitoring piping plovers.  One of these pairs lost their nest to overwash at Gordons Pond.  The second pair hatched their two chicks out on the tip of the Point.  The chicks were observed for about ten days and then disappeared.  Their fate is unknown, but it is not thought they reached fledge age.

 

Seabeach Amaranth

The federally listed seabeach amaranth grows in the same kinds of habitat in which plovers nest (i.e. sparsely vegetated dune slopes and overwashes).  This year about 40 amaranth plants were found at Cape Henlopen.  Unfortunately, frequent tidal surges (including powerful waves sent our way courtesy of Hurricane Bill) washed out all but two of the plants.  On the encouraging side, some of the plants that were washed out were able to set seed before being lost.

Despite thorough searches at all of the coastal state parks and at possible sites on the Delaware Bay, no amaranth was found outside of the boundaries of Cape Henlopen State Park this year.  Typically, the stretch of beach between Tower Road and Key Box Road at Delaware Seashore State Park hosts amaranth.  Although no amaranth were found there this season, seeds can persist in the sand for many years and it is likely that amaranth will be found there again in future years.

 

If anyone has any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.

 

Thanks,

Matthew Bailey

Wildlife Biologist

Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program

Phone: (302) 382-4151

matthew.bailey@state.de.us

 

 

 

Bonfire, Piping Plovers and Que Pasa! Typical!

Friday night was a fun Birthday Bonfire!  30 to 40 year olds, married with their first kid-lets and accompanying dogs.  Birthday Boy was surrounded by family and some single friends so a Yucca ( jug with water, sugar, vodka, lemon, limes) was passed round and round.

A father of two cute kids and a hot wife, decided to be Jack-Be-Nimble Jack-Be-Quick and he really did jump over the huge Fire Pit!!!!!  Nothing was scorched.  I squealed!  His wife and kids did not! 

Saturday I did Bird Police at Cape Henlopen State Park.  What a great session it was!  ~ 20 birders from a Baltimore club came to bird the spot and cross the Endangered Species Piping Plover off their Life List.  I was able to show them a chick..... and adults too. From their leader,  I learned much about Terns and Gulls.

I rushed back to the cottage for a quick snack and to spend the afternoon lounging and swimming on my beach.

Saturday evening I was off with friends to Que Pasa.

Que Pasa is wonderful because there ain't much there except a garage with glass doors! It is as if you docked with your boat and got out for drinks with chips and salsa.  We waited 30 minutes to get a table on "the Bay beach".  We talked past the sunset into the night.

The food is very curious and shows some invention.  As dinner, it is over priced...... as rental for the local real-estate ... worth every penny.   It is my favorite Sunday wind-down spot.

For not much more cash........ Rehoboth's Finn's buys you a cozy bar, with a fabulous beer menu, and the best fried ( lightly) oyster dinner I've had since????

Sunday it was back to Cape Henlopen State Park and more swimming!