character

Combing the news for references to piping plovers, I found a Canadian article that describes it as full of character. I guess if you can't have charisma, character is the next best thing. :-) Seriously, I liked the article because it's so vivid and enthusiastic. They're actually excited about piping plovers nesting in Ontario.

This article from the Plymouth Bulletin has a great photo of an adult piping plover with a chick, taken by Jim Fenton, whose Flight Path exhibit is featured at Plimoth Plantation this summer. Th article also highlights Scott Hecker, formerly of National Audubon and now of the Goldenrod Foundation. I chatted with Scott a couple of weeks ago and became all fired up to visit Plymouth Beach and spend some time among the nesting piping plovers and even Arctic terns. That was before I was laid low by the tooth of evil plus norovirus plus amoxicillin reaction. Now all I think about is getting the tooth out on Friday. There's still time left to do the piping plover nesting site tour of Massachusetts this summer assuming that I bounce back from the tooth of evil quickly.

Meanwhile, in New Jersey a northeast storm destroyed two-thirds of the known piping plover nests at the Jersey Shore last week. Some nests in Delaware got washed over by the same storm. We're darn lucky we didn't get it up here -- for once.

And I'll leave you with one more article in which Canadians are excited about the little shorebird with lots of character.