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.
LAST UPDATED August 6th- Check back every week through the end of nesting season.
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
EIGHTH HOLE BEACH
Season complete · 1 PIPL chick fledged, fencing removed
MIDDLE FARMS BEACH
Season complete · 3 PIPL chicks fledged as of July 23rd
BIG CLUB BEACH
Season complete · 3 PIPL chicks fledged, fencing removed
SOUTH BEACH
Still very active!
Plover pair: No sighting today, possibly fledged (~25-26 days old) · Tern pair 1: 2 chicks believed fledged · Tern pair 2: chick fledged, confirmed flying today · New tern nest: 2 chicks found (~5-8 days old), likely siblings, previously undocumented
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.
July 4th- 4 Piping plover chicks still on site with the 2 active parents. Chicks are 15 days old. Our FIC shorebird monitors were out at this site all day keeping an eye on the family while talking to all of the beach goers about the plovers and handing out educational material.
July 7th- After several days of steady rain, we were only able to locate 3 of the 4 chicks with the adults today. The chicks are 18 days old, mobile but still weeks from fledging, so they can’t fully thermoregulate yet and are vulnerable to prolonged wet, cool conditions. Heavy rain and rough weather can also make it harder for parents to keep the brood together and feeding well, which can lead to chicks getting separated or overwhelmed by exposure. We’ll keep watching closely over the next few days, but a loss like this during a multi-day rain event would be consistent with storm-related mortality at this age.
July 9th- Before our monitors reached the site, we were notified by a shorebird volunteer who was golfing and observed a mink chasing and harassing the plover family, roughly thirty minutes before our team arrived. When we got to the site, only 2 chicks remained with the parents, down from 3. Given the timing, it’s likely predation occurred shortly before our arrival. Minks are opportunistic predators and a known threat to shorebird chicks, especially at this age when chicks are mobile but still small and can’t yet outrun or evade a fast predator. We’ll continue close monitoring of the remaining chicks over the coming days. Chicks are around 20 days old.
July 11th – Our monitor was on site at 1:35 PM but was unable to locate a single plover, chick or adult, despite a thorough check. It was a hot day, so it’s possible the family was tucked away somewhere brooding or seeking shade rather than out in the open. No evidence of feathers or signs of disturbance at the site, though mink tracks were noted, no plover tracks were found alongside them. Prompted a follow up visit the next morning to confirm the family’s status.
July 12th – Following up after not being able to locate the family on site the day before, our monitor got out early this morning to check on them. Beach was busy with a good number of beachgoers out. Relieved to find one adult with one chick, around 25 days old, still somewhat downy but with primary feathers developing, a good sign that this chick could be nearing fledging soon. This is down from the 4 chicks observed on July 4th, so it’s a meaningful drop, but not necessarily a total loss. It’s possible some of the missing chicks have already fledged and are simply ranging further from the nest site with the adults, since chicks at this age become increasingly mobile and independent as they approach flight capability. We’ll continue monitoring closely to see if that’s the case. Also of note, while on site our monitor observed two adult plovers fly in accompanied by two fledged chicks. It’s unclear whether this pair is related to the Eighth Hole family or a separate group passing through, since the resident pair with the one chick became notably territorial toward them, guarding food resources and space. We’ll keep an eye out to see if any connection becomes clearer over the next few visits.
July 14th – Returned to the site today and did not observe any plovers, not even an adult. Of the original 4 chicks, 2 losses have documented likely causes, one to the multi-day rain event on July 7th and one to a mink predation event witnessed by a volunteer on July 9th. A third chick went missing between July 9th and July 12th with no observation during that window, so it remains undetermined. The fourth and final chick, last seen July 12th at 25 days old, healthy and showing developed primaries, is the strongest candidate for a successful fledge, and its disappearance alongside the adult today is consistent with that. We’ll do one more confirmation visit before taking fencing down at this site.Chick that has fledged is 27 days old.
July 21st – Took the fencing down at this site today. No chicks or adult pairs were observed, consistent with the fledging we confirmed earlier. Site is officially closed out for the season.
#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.
July 8th- the active pair continues to be seen with 3 plover chicks, now around 18 days old. We also observed a good amount of activity from willets, sandpipers, and terns in the area today.
July 13th – Middle Farms is naturally sheltered and doesn’t require fencing, we’ve been able to give the family a little extra breathing room and space compared to our higher traffic sites, letting them settle in with minimal disturbance. Good to get back out there and confirm the family is still doing well, all 3 chicks were still present with the pair. Based on the site’s monitoring history, these chicks are now approximately 23 days old.
July 16th – Today the family looked happy and healthy. All 3 chicks were present, doing an excellent job blending into the rocks when we approached, while the parents worked to distract with flight displays nearby. The chicks would be approximately 26 days old today. Also noted a good amount of cormorant activity nearby, along with at least two Least Terns seen foraging in the area. No tern nest was spotted at this site, they appear to just be passing through to forage rather than actively nesting here. Site continues to be plover-only in terms of confirmed nesting activity.
July 20th – Spotted 3 plovers at the far end of the beach around 11 AM, but they scattered and tucked into cover almost as soon as we approached. Based on the site’s hatch timing, these would be the original 3 chicks at approximately 30 days old today, right at the edge of typical fledging age. At this age, the possibility that we’re seeing early flight behavior rather than just hiding is genuinely high, birds this close to fledging often become harder to track precisely because they’re starting to move and range further than younger chicks. Couldn’t confirm exact ages or adult versus chick status visually in the 30 minutes we were on site, no vocalizations either, which made confirming numbers tricky. Worth noting, coyotes have been active in the area, the property owner mentioned sightings, and we personally spotted one on the path while leaving. Paw prints were all over the beach, but plover tracks were there too, so the birds appear to be doing an excellent job of staying hidden and safe. We’ll be back to confirm.
July 23rd – No chicks or adults spotted at all today, walked the length of the beach with no movement. Given the site’s hatch timing, these chicks would be right around 33 days old today, squarely within the typical fledging window. Combined with what we noted on the 20th, when the chicks were already showing signs of early flight behavior rather than just hiding, and the pattern we’ve seen at our other sites, where a quiet, empty beach after weeks of chick activity has meant a successful fledge, this is a good sign rather than a concerning one. We’ll do one more confirmation check before considering this site closed out for the season.
July 31st – Final confirmation visit today. Site was completely empty aside from a few lingering sandpipers, no plovers, adults or chicks, observed anywhere on the beach. Combined with the pattern noted on the 20th and 23rd, this confirms the site is complete for the season, and we’re confident all 3 chicks successfully fledged.
#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!
July 3rd-Only spotted 1 chick today, though the afternoon timing and the chick being hunkered down in the rocks may mean the others were simply out of view nearby. The adult pair’s behavior was noticeably different today, staying up on the rocks farther away or flying overhead rather than staying close on the beach near the chick. This could be an early sign of fledging behavior, as adults sometimes shift to more distant supervision as chicks get closer to flight age, encouraging them to move and strengthen their wings. Will keep a close eye over the next few days to confirm. Chicks are 27 days old.
July 7th- 2 chicks observed today, very close to fledging with primary feathers coming in. Only 1 adult was present, performing a broken wing display even at a distance, which suggests she was quite stressed, likely a lingering effect of the busy holiday weekend. We’ll continue to monitor closely and keep our distance to avoid adding further stress to the family. Chicks are 31 days old.
July 9th-Busy morning for plover activity this site. All 3 chicks were still present, stretching their wings and fluttering, looking close to their first flight attempts. They stayed near the shoreline. We also spotted another pair of adult piping plovers foraging nearby, and the resident parents became notably territorial, chasing the visiting pair off anytime they got close to the chicks. This kind of defensive behavior is common as chicks near fledging, since parents are protecting them from competition for food and space during this especially vulnerable pre-flight stage. No full flight observed yet, but the chicks appear to be right on the edge of it. Chicks are 33 days old.
July 12th – Observed 1 adult with all 3 chicks again, foraging along the beach. Got fairly close to the group and they showed no signs of disturbance, no hunkering or flushing, just continued to walk quickly and forage alongside the adult. Primary feathers appear fully developed at this point, and the lack of hunkering behavior is a good sign, since younger chicks tend to freeze or hide when approached. Everything points to these chicks being fledge ready, they just haven’t taken that first flight yet. Chicks are 36 days old. Will continue watching for confirmed flight.
July 14th – Confirmed fledging at this site. Two chicks were observed clearly flying, one with a short flight witnessed directly, alongside one adult, with a second adult present on the opposite side of the site. Primary feathers fully developed on both. The third chick was not observed today, but given the confirmed fledging of its siblings and no evidence of disturbance or predation, it’s reasonable to assume it may simply be out of view or foraging elsewhere rather than lost, though we can’t confirm that without another sighting. Fencing will be coming down at this site soon as well. Chicks are 38 days old.
July 21st – Took the fencing down at this site today as well. No chicks or adult pairs were observed, another good sign pointing to a successful fledge. Site is officially closed out for the season.
#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!
July 4th- Went into the long weekend a bit concerned about human activity at this site, but the tern pairs turned out to be more than capable of handling it themselves. They were notably territorial and aggressive today, dive-bombing and vocalizing at anyone who got close, myself included. Their aggression is doing exactly what it needs to, keeping people at a distance. 1 tern pair still guarding 1 chick. Originally had 2 chicks, the second wasn’t visible today, possible it was just well hidden. Least tern chicks are 17 days old today. 1 plover pair still going strong with the full clutch of 4 eggs. A second tern pair is showing confused, pre-nesting behavior, close enough to the other plover pair on site that it’s worth keeping an eye on. The second plover pair, nesting directly on the rocks, is doing well. Had a safe opportunity to approach and confirmed 3 eggs in the nest. Least tern chicks are 17 days old today
July 7th- 4 Piping Plovers spotted total, both pairs still active on site. Least Tern pair now has 2 chicks. Tern chicks are 20 days old. Tern activity remains high, lots of dive-bombing and vocal defense again today.
July 13th – Returned to the site today after giving the family space since our last visit on July 7th, wanting to minimize disturbance during this critical hatching window. Glad we did, as we’re now seeing 2 freshly hatched plover chicks with the pair, likely only 1 to 3 days old based on their appearance, still fully covered in soft down with no visible primary feather development along the wings yet. They stayed close to the adults and showed typical newly hatched behavior. There are still 2 eggs remaining in the nest that have not yet hatched. It’s common for eggs within the same clutch to hatch a day or two apart, so there’s a good chance those could still hatch soon if given a bit more time. We’ll continue to keep our distance and limit site visits where possible to avoid adding stress during this sensitive period.
July 14th – Site visit conducted this morning during low tide. Observed 7 Least Terns (LETE), 3 Piping Plover (PIPL) adults, and 2 Piping Plover chicks. A brief scuffle occurred between a Least Tern and a Piping Plover, consistent with the high territorial activity we’ve seen from the terns at this site all season. No update yet on the 2 remaining unhatched eggs.
July 16th – It’s baby season at South Beach! South Beach is absolutely buzzing with life right now, we counted chicks from three different nesting pairs during today’s visit, plus a whole lot of shorebird activity overall. With so many tiny, mobile babies spread across the site right now, this is an especially important time to give the beach extra space, and we’re asking everyone to please leash your dogs if you’re planning to visit this stretch this week! Our first Least Tern pair, who successfully raised two chicks earlier this season, appears to have fledged and moved on, right around the expected age for their first flights. Congratulations to that family! A second Least Tern pair is now on site with a brand new, freshly hatched chick, just a 1-3 days old and being closely brooded by an attentive parent. Our first Piping Plover pair has 2 healthy chicks out and about, around 5 days old. There are still 2 eggs in the nest that haven’t hatched yet, and we’re keeping a close eye to see what happens with those over the next few days. And down by the rocks, our second Piping Plover pair has 1 chick as well, a bit older at 6 to 10 days. With chicks this young scattered across the site, they’re incredibly hard to spot and easy to accidentally disturb. Please stick to the wet sand, give any fencing or flagged areas plenty of room, and keep pups off this beach for now. Thank you for helping us give these families the best shot at a successful season!
July 20th – Lots of activity today. Spotted one very young piping plover chick along with a second, older bird that looked like it may already be flying, though we’re still confirming that observation given the age gap with what we’ve logged for this site’s known nests. Counted 4 adult piping plovers total, two pairs on opposite sides of the fencing, plus around 6 Least Terns in flight, including one that appeared to be actively guarding a nest we weren’t able to locate (chose not to search too closely to avoid disturbing them). Also a great day for shorebird diversity overall, 8 to 12 semipalmated sandpipers and semipalmated plovers, a great blue heron, plenty of cormorants, and about 3 ospreys overhead. We suspect there are more plover chicks out there than we could confirm, this beach has excellent natural camouflage this season.
July 22nd – Spotted the Least Tern chick again today, along with an adult seen brooding on a nest. Plover chicks were tough to find from a distance, but on closer approach we did manage to spot one. Total count for the visit: 4 adult piping plovers, about 6 Least Terns including the 1 chick, and good sandpiper and willet activity. Also confirmed that the 2 remaining eggs in the flagged nest are still unhatched, given the timing relative to their siblings, we’re now considering these non-viable.
July 24th – Visited the site today and reported 2 Piping Plover chicks observed, appearing young. Based on hatch timing, these are likely the flagged nest pair’s 2 chicks, approximately 12 days old today, both still together at this early stage.
July 27th – Another great morning of activity out at South Beach! We’re continuing to see a wonderful mix of shorebirds using this stretch of beach, roughly 5-6 ruddy turnstones, over 10 sandpipers, semipalmated plovers, and even some osprey activity overhead. On the plover side, we spotted an adult Piping Plover keeping close watch over 1 healthy chick near the wrack line on the east end of the beach, still fuzzy with down but growing fast, likely around 15-16 days old. We believe this is one of our flagged nest pair’s 2 chicks, though we were not able to relocate the second chick from that brood today. We also were not able to locate our second plover pair or their chick today, last confirmed on July 16th at 6-10 days old, nor were we able to confirm the fate of the 2 remaining eggs from that nest 🙁 Our Least Tern chick, first spotted as a tiny newly hatched fluffball back on July 16th, was seen! Now an estimated 12-14 days old! With so much still actively happening at this site, chicks of different ages, adults on high alert, and nests tucked into the wrack line and rocks, we’re asking everyone to please continue giving South Beach plenty of space.
August 4th – Big shift in activity at this site today. A large Least Tern colony was observed, approximately 25 birds, consistent with a post-breeding staging flock rather than an active nesting pair. One chick was seen within the group, moderate down still present with some yellow coloring, not a tiny hatchling, estimated at approximately 7-12 days old. This age doesn’t match either of our two previously tracked tern chicks, so this likely represents a previously undocumented nest within the larger colony. Separately, 1 juvenile Least Tern with near-complete primary feather development was observed in flight at the south end of the site. Based on age, this is likely our second tern pair’s chick, first spotted on 7/16 at 1-3 days old, which would put it at approximately 20-22 days today, right in the expected window for first flights. If confirmed, this marks that chick reaching flight stage. On the plover side, 1 adult male was observed with 1 chick, believed to be the flagged nest pair’s surviving chick, now approximately 23-24 days old. This is likely the same bird seen on July 27th, when the adult male appeared to be finishing up final brood care solo. A flight attempt was observed today. Still no confirmed sighting of the second flagged nest chick (last seen 7/16 at 5 days old) or the rock nest chick and its parents (last seen 7/16), both remain unaccounted for. With the large tern gathering, a possible new undocumented nest, our second tern pair’s chick likely reaching flight stage, and a plover chick nearing fledging.
August 6th – Around 15 terns were resting on the shoreline this morning and got pretty riled up once we got close. Good news though, our tern chick has officially fledged, we caught it in flight today. Still has some growing to do, dark wing feathers, a light gray back, a brownish crown with the black cap just starting to come in, yellow legs, and a brownish-yellow bill, so definitely still a juvenile, but flying all the same. We also spotted two other terns with lighter, more speckled plumage, black around the eyes instead of a full cap and a speckled white head, also looking like juveniles. And then a third one with an almost fully white head, no cap at all. That one’s most likely an adult heading into its non-breeding plumage now that the season’s winding down. Less good news, we came across an adult tern that looked pretty unwell, lethargic, feathers all puffed out, wings drooping, and it didn’t react to us at all, which isn’t normal for this species. We kept our distance and didn’t want to disturb it further, will keep an eye out if we see it again. While we were near the chick we’ve been tracking, we realized there’s actually a second small chick nearby that we hadn’t documented before, most likely a sibling from the same nest, not related to the one that fledged. The first is very small with barely any down, probably around 5-8 days old, and the second is a bit bigger and more mobile, still downy.. So that’s a nest we’d missed until now, easy to do with a colony this size and this feisty. On the plover side, no sightings today, though we did hear a call nearby. Given our flagged nest chick was about 23-24 days old back on the 4th, he’d be around 25-26 days old now, right at the edge of when fledging usually happens. There’s a good chance he’s already fledged, this site has had such a healthy, food-rich wrack line all season that it may have helped the chicks grow a bit faster than usual. Want one more confirmed sighting before we call that one done though. Beyond all that, just a great morning for shorebirds generally, about 4 ruddy turnstones, 3 red knots, a black-bellied plover, and a semipalmated plover, all out foraging together along a really fresh wrack line, with a bit of friendly territorial squabbling between them.