We’re expecting!
The first nest at Fowler Beach was laid on April 22 by Manu and Medi. This is the second year in a row that this pair has claimed the title for first nest of the season, which is pretty neat. By a couple of days, too!
Manu, named for the Hawaiian word for “bird,� has been with us since at least 2022 when he was banded as an after-second-year adult. No buffy tips on his shoulder feathers!
Medi is Fowler Beach hatched and raised; one of our fledglings from the 2022 season. She came back to Fowler in 2023 and has been nesting with us ever since. We usually see older females lay their nests before younger ones, but Medi was here to break stereotypes.
Piping plovers arrive at Fowler Beach in March, but it takes them a long time to refuel and get strong enough to produce eggs. You would too, if the kids you were cooking up were nearly 20% of your own body weight. And they usually make four of them! Piping plovers typically lay an egg every other day, so it takes about a week for a nest to be complete. To put that in human terms, that’s like popping out a baby that weighs 25-40 pounds four times in a single week. Ouch! Give some mad respect to our plover mamas.
From March 1 to September 30, Fowler Beach is closed to public access to prevent disturbance to nesting birds and their young as well as migrating shorebirds like the red knot. Please obey all posted signage and avoid entering areas that are marked as closed so that vulnerable wildlife, plants, and their habitats can thrive!
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