Plus It's Fluffer, Than a Cotton Ball

Piping Plover Chick

We traveled to Allens Pond sanctuary early this morning, with the plans being to do some more macro photography, which we did until Lauren, one of the staff at the sanctuary told us that a pair of the piping plovers eggs hatch yesterday afternoon.  We went and changed lenses to longer lenses and went down to the beach loop and found the adults and the newly hatched piping plover chicks.  The adult piping plovers were very protective of their chicks trying to draw us away from the chicks by doing the wounded wing display.  We saw the chicks in front of us, and ended up laying down on the sand, watched the adults and chicks in their activity.  The piping plover chicks look no bigger than a large cotton ball, plus, they were faster than a speeding bullet.  It will be fun going back on a regular basis and watching the chicks grow up.

Adult Piping Plover

Piping Plover Showing Broken Wing Display

Piping Plover in Flight

Adult and Chick Piping Plover

Piping Plover Chick

Piping Plover Chick

Piping Plover Chick Hiding

Piping Plover Chick

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Piping Plovers at Allens Pond

Finally, after many trips to the beach loop at Allens Pond, I finally was able to photograph some of this year's piping plovers.  Arriving at the beach loop, we saw down the beach running in and out of the water a small bird.  At first we thought it may have been a semipalmated plover, but as we got closer we were able to identify it as a piping plover.  Making our way slowly down the beach, we end up seeing two different piping plovers.  They were both feeding, but one was aggressive toward the other.

Walking back toward the path leading from the beach loop toward the road, a piping plover, in the area where in previous years there was a nest of a piping plover, a piping plover was angry with us being near that area by approach and us closely and displaying to move us away from this area.  This makes me think that finally, a piping plover family is nesting in this area.  Well will have to keep an eye on this area to see if this is true.

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Remember Monday, June 15, marks 10 years for Nature Photography Day:  a time for discovery and inspiration.  And the natural world offers so many opportunities to be creative.

Remember to look for the Nature Photography Day Member Event on NANPA's page on Facebook! Take images on June 15, and upload one for the event section.  

New this year on NANPA's Facebook Group Page:  a special photo contest sponsored by Tamron, Red River Paper, Hunt's, and NANPA.

Summer Solstice a Morning of Photography

For the summer solstice, I led a group of four great people on a workshop, "shooting shorebirds - with your camera"  for Allens Pond Sanctuary.  We started off the morning at Gooseberry, traveling down along the east side beach to the tip.  On the way down, we did not see any shorebirds, or terns, but the Double-crested Cormorants were on the rocks summer, which spread their wings and allowed the group to take pictures.  I discussed with the people settings in the camera regards to aperture, shutter speed and ISO and the interrelation between the three parts of the exposure triangle. 

We did find a sad sight a dead seal, which was partly eaten probably by the gulls.  Out at the tip of Gooseberry remarkably no terns and no shorebirds.  Returning down the West side.  We did find groups of eiders with little ducklings.

Finishing up at gooseberry, we went to Allens Pond and traveled down to the beach loop where immediately, we found the piping plovers and three chicks.  The group sat down on the sand and were able to get numerous pictures of these birds as they came toward us.  They did move out of the way when a couple of people walked by them, and we were able to with that point even move closer to them.  And the chicks came up to within 15 feet of us.

Leaving the beach loop, we stopped at the culvert where a saltmarsh sparrow gave us excellent views and allow for some nice photography.

We finished up with box lunches at the field station and further discussed our settings and findings.  And I answered questions.  But a great time was had by all.  It is always a wonderful day when you are outside and photographing rather than sitting in an office.

Thoughts

Last evening, as I was sitting out on my back porch reading a good book and enjoying a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, I looked up and watched the wind gently blow.  When the trees and power was overcast, the clouds was slowly moving by, birds were saying in the trees and approve no matter what the weather.  The world is always enjoyable.

Remember Sunday, besides being Father's Day is the annual nature photography day.  Go out take pictures and post one on the Facebook site at NANPA created.

Last Saturday in the Boston Globe there was a recent editorial by Larry Harmon entitled Move over, plover; the beach is for people http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/06/07/move-over-plover-beach-for-people/zvl2SgGZCFwaiMXXi3XnIJ/story.html.   This editorial decried blocking off portions of the beach, so that the piping plovers could nest and raise their young.  His feeling is the beach belong to people.  Many people have emailed Mr. Harmon protesting his words.  In fact, Devin Griffiths wrote an excellent blog http://devincbirder.wordpress.com/2014/06/10/beaches-are-for-the-birds/which I encourage you to read.  I have been down to Nickerson beach on Long Island, which has more people than Revere beach, where the nesting birds, and the people exist in harmony.  Please make your voices heard in opposition to this very biased editorial and to it, respectfully.

Speaking of shorebirds, remember on June 21, I will be leading a workshop on photographing shorebirds and there are still spaces available.  You can preview the program and sign up at ... http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/program-catalog#program:sanctuary=25:program_code=34448

Coastal Waterbird Monitoring

Piping Plover

Allens Pond Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary is a participant in the Coastal Waterbird Program. The Coastal Waterbird Program monitors and protects more nesting sites on the Atlantic coast than any other non-governmental entity. Every year from March through September, we utilize a variety of management techniques to protect nesting and migratory coastal birds from human disturbance and predators.
Examples of management techniques include:
·    symbolic fencing
·    signage
·    electric fencing
·    exclosures
The Coastal Waterbird Program protects over 60 miles of coastline annually and manages approximately:
·    40-50 percent of the state's piping plovers
·    40 percent of Massachusetts least terns
·    20 percent of Massachusetts American oystercatchers
The program focuses on protection of the most threatened species of coastal birds, and more broadly, coastal ecosystem management. The Coastal Waterbird Program serves as a model for integrated coastal resource management.
Allens Pond has two monitors, Allison and Josie, who monitor and survey certain areas, keeping track of the endangered species, piping plovers, least terns, common terns, plus American oystercatchers.  They also monitor predators by utilizing trail cameras and at times being out all night monitoring.

I traveled with Josie as she surveyed the beach loop and East beach areas.  We did locate some new nests along where the oystercatcher was nesting.

Piping Plover

Piping Plover on Nest

Piping Plover

Piping Plover looking for a bug

American Oystercatcher

American Oystercatcher on nest

We spent some time observing the least terns, some more nesting and being fed by the male and others with a male was trying to find a mate by offering a fish.

Least Tern, offering a fish

Least Tern, offering a fish

Because the female least tern was on nest.  The male least tern left with its fish, looking for a mate

Least Tern, offering a fish

There was a group of approximately 10 Dunlin in breeding plumage in the East beach area

Dunlin, hopping on 1 foot, they keep the other foot up in the body to reduce heat loss

We made sure if a bird was on a nest, and when we were near it, it got off the nest, we would immediately leave.


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