tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15802700055233183312024-03-14T01:48:43.327-04:00The Plover Warden DiariesLife on the beach at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and occasional other birding adventures and, of course, piping plovers.Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.comBlogger452125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-22362376687893940812018-08-09T17:38:00.001-04:002018-08-09T17:38:26.715-04:00some brief updates as the season winds downDidn't sign up for any August shifts -- too much other stuff going on -- so no first hand report from me today. Last official word I heard was that the official total of piping plover chicks fledged is 40. That's a good number given the wash-overs from extreme high tides and the normal amount of predation.
The least terns have left the beach. I haven't seen any data on them, but it didn't seem Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-7435358491292750862018-07-16T00:03:00.001-04:002018-07-16T00:03:16.230-04:00it's all happening at the beach
July 13, 2018
AM shift - North
Coffee of the Day: Clipper City Blend
Bird of the Day: piping plover
Butterfly of the Day: American Copper
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: a sock
Invisi-Bird Status: Official: Refuge: 8 fledglings/3 broods, 28 chicks/15 broods, 4 nests; Sandy Point: 11 chicks/4 broods, 4 nests; Town Beach: 7 chicks/3 broods, 1 nest. Number actually seen by me: 3 -- 2 Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-16468773635048112082018-07-11T17:14:00.002-04:002018-07-12T16:43:47.287-04:00quick updateUpdate for: July 6, 2018
Following the if it's raining at my house it's probably raining at PRNWR rule, I didn't go be north plover warden today (July 6).
Coffee of the Day at my house instead of Plum Island Coffee Roasters: New Harvest Steamroller blend.
Invisi-bird Status: Refuge: 28 pairs, 6 nests, 41 chicks/19 broods. Sandy Point: 9 pairs, 4 nests, 19 chicks/broods. Town Beach: 5 Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-59236955463123507632018-07-08T22:16:00.000-04:002018-07-08T22:16:10.095-04:00crowded beach in the heatJune 29, 2018
Coffee of the Day: Ethiopian Yrgacheffe
Sighting of the Day: monarch butterfly (first of the season)
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: none
Invisi-bird Status: Official: Refuge Beach: 29 pairs, 9 nests, 37 chicks/17 broods; Sandy Point: 9 pairs, 5 nests, 12 chicks/3 broods; Town Beach: 5 pairs, 3 nests, 5 chicks/2broods. Number actually seen by me: 1.
Looking South
OK, it's really Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-15278823432545624712018-07-04T15:40:00.001-04:002018-07-04T15:40:09.816-04:00chicks!June 22, 2018
Coffee of the Day: Sumatra Mandehling
Bird of the Day: piping plover -- finally chicks!
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: strange pink thing
Invisi-bird Status: Official: Refuge: 23 chicks from 7 nests, 20 nests that haven't hatched yet, total 35 pairs; Sandy Point: 10 pairs, 7 nests, 1 brood with 4 chicks; Town Beach: 4 pairs, 2 nests, 1 brood with 4 chicks. Number actually seen by me:Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-78901093899749999832018-07-02T17:33:00.002-04:002018-07-02T17:33:43.941-04:00rainy dayJune 15, 2018
Coffee of the Day: Ethiopian Yrgacheffe
Bird of the Day: wild turkey
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: none
Invisi-bird Status: Refuge: 35 pairs, 26 active nests, 2 broods totaling 6 chicks. Number actually seen by me: zero.
Least Tern Status: 3 nests.
Mystery Bird in the Rain
It wasn't raining when I left my house but by the time I got to the refuge it was definitely raining. It Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-74841963168813604582018-07-02T17:25:00.002-04:002018-07-12T16:40:27.896-04:00furthermore a wiffle ballJune 8, 2018
Coffee of the Day: French Roast Sumatra
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: wiffle ball
Invisi-bird Status: Official: Refuge: 25 nests. Some washovers. Nothing else in the report. Number actually seen by me:1.
Looking South
Only saw one of the adult piping plovers today. Was pretty busy and didn't get much chance to walk the wrack line or take photos. I did spot a wiffle ball inJanet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-58639801137068987422018-07-02T17:19:00.002-04:002018-07-02T17:19:59.984-04:00gull, grackles, horseshoe crabs and dune vegetationJune 1, 2018
Coffee of the Day: Clipper City Roast
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: lobster trap with lots of fishing line attached
Invisi-bird Status: Official: Refuge Beach: 43 pairs, 29 nests. Don't know about Sandy Point or the town beach. Number actually seen by me: 2.
Looking South
Horseshoe crabs are becoming a theme. Not only have there been a ton of molted shells around, but today I Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-54978177964499111872018-06-28T21:25:00.003-04:002018-06-28T21:25:30.127-04:00very hot day with weird flotsam and predator exclosureMay 25, 2018
Coffee of the Day: Tanzania Peaberry
Bird of the Day: least tern air defense command in action
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: strange agglomeration of flotsam
Invisi-bird Status: Refuge: 43 pairs, 26 nests. Sandy Point: 9 pairs, 2 nests. Town Beach: 6 pairs, 2 nests. Number actually seen by me: 2 on active nest.
Looking South
The extremely hot weather brought lots of people to theJanet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-8640870688559092922018-06-28T17:47:00.001-04:002018-06-28T17:47:28.193-04:00after that 10.9 foot high tide (delayed post)May 18, 2018
Coffee of the Day: French Roast
Bird of the Day: least tern
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: a Minion
Invisi-bird Status: Refuge: 43 pairs, 10 nests. Sandy Point: 10 pairs, 7 nests. Town Beach: 6 pairs, 2 nests. Number actually seen by me: 2.
Notes: 8 nests lost to predation by crows, 8 nests lost to flooding because of that huge high tide (10.9 feet).
Black-bellied Plovers
I was Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-10288247827600810312018-06-28T17:22:00.001-04:002018-06-28T17:22:16.182-04:00doing Wednesday instead of Friday for a change (delayed post)May 9, 2018
Coffee of the Day: Sumatra Mandehling
Bird of the Day: common tern
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: largish, tight ball of fishing line
Invisi-bird Status: Refuge: 41 pairs, 13 nests. Sandy Point: 10 pairs, 7 nests. Town Beach: 4 pairs, 2 nests. Number actually seen by me: 2.
Ball of Fishing Line
It was a gorgeous day on the beach. The common terns are back, but I haven't seen any Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-26888992108508453982018-06-28T17:12:00.004-04:002018-06-28T17:12:45.205-04:00first Hooksett disk sighting of the season (delayed post)April 27, 2018
Coffee of the Day: Sumatra Mandehling
Bird of the Day: piping plover
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: a Hooksett disk
Coast Guard Assets: 1 Jayhawk helicopter
Invisi-bird Status: Refuge: 34 pairs, 1 loner, 0 nests. Sandy Point: 7 pairs, 0 nests. Town Beach: 3 pairs, 0 nests. Number actually seen by me: 2.
Looking South
Horseshoe crab shells of all different sizes were everywhere: Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-46863354482949634632018-06-28T15:29:00.000-04:002018-06-28T15:29:04.469-04:00not on duty but birding at the refuge anyway (delayed post)April 20, 2018
Coffee of the Day: Ethiopian Harrar
Bird of the Day: peregrine falcon
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: all the usual stuff, nothing particularly weird
Invisi-bird Status: Refuge: 26 pairs, 10 loners, 0 nests. Sandy Point: 6 pairs, 0 nests. Town Beach: 3 pairs, 0 nests. Number actually seen by me: 2 at Sandy Point.
View from the Lot 1 Boardwalk
I was not on the schedule for Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-21709664957964354612018-06-28T14:54:00.002-04:002018-06-28T14:54:59.667-04:00lots of semipalmated sandpipers (delayed post)April 13, 2018
Coffee of the Day: Tanzania Peaberry
Bird of the Day: semipalmated sandpiper
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: semi-deflated basketball
Invisi-bird Status: Refuge: 22 pairs, 8 loners, 0 nests. Sandy Point: 25 individuals, 0 nests. Town Beach: zero. Number actually seen by me: zero.
Looking South from the Refuge Boundary
It was a pretty quiet shift -- not a lot of visitors. Didn't Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-12344732787031615722018-05-28T22:28:00.002-04:002018-05-28T22:28:58.032-04:00cold bright day (delayed post)April 6, 2018
Coffee of the Day: Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
Bird of the Day: Osprey
Invisi-bird Status: No official report yet. Number actually seen by me: zero
Beach Looking South
It was really cold. Visitors were few. There's not a lot of beach left after this winter's ravages. I couldn't really capture in a photo how little space there is between the wrack line and the dunes and how steep the Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-54566044297554485312017-07-25T15:55:00.001-04:002017-07-25T15:55:54.441-04:00crowded crazy beachFriday, July 21, 2017
Bird of the Day: black tern
Coffee of the Day: Ethiopian Harrar
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: moon snail sand collar
Invisi-bird Status: Official: Refuge Beach: 27 Pairs, 3 Nests, 70 Chicks, 14 Fledglings. No report on town beach and Sandy Point. Number actually seen by me: 4 (3 chicks, 1 adult).
Plover Chick Looking for Food in the Sand
After a long streak of cloudy, Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-19913369820897025522017-07-18T16:20:00.002-04:002017-07-18T16:20:41.068-04:00plover chicks, pollinators, and a cold day on the beach Friday July 14, 2017
Bird of the Day: piping plover
Coffee of the Day: French Roast
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: plastic thing that looks like a thumb drive or a cigarette lighter
Invisi-bird Status: Official: Refuge Beach:
28 Pairs,
13 Nests,
47 Chicks, 14 Fledglings.
Sandy Point:
7 Pairs,
0 Nests,
22 Chicks,
0 Fledglings. Town Beach:
2 Pairs,
1 Nest,
4 Chicks. Number actually seen by me: 2 Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-26259924947839450592017-07-17T17:50:00.002-04:002017-07-17T17:50:55.879-04:00chicks!Friday July 7, 2017
Bird of the Day: piping plover chick(s)
Coffee of the Day: Ethiopian Harrar
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: a hair roller?
Invisi-bird Status: Official: Refuge Beach: 31 Pairs, 19 Nests, 31 Chicks. Sandy Point: 9 Pairs, 0 Nests, 23 Chicks. Town Beach: 2 Pairs, 1 Nest, 4 Chicks. Number actually seen by me: 3 Chicks, 2 Adults for a total of 5 of those invisible little guys!
Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-4583406814082887682017-07-17T17:10:00.001-04:002017-07-17T17:10:41.824-04:00quiet day on the beach, wild ride homeFriday June 23, 2017
Bird of the Day: lesser black back (maybe)
Coffee of the Day: Ethiopian Harrar
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: a Hooksett disk
Invisi-bird Status: Official: Refuge Beach:
46 Pairs,
31 Nests, 15 Chicks.
Sandy Point:
9 Pairs,
7 Nests,
4 Chicks.
Town Beach:
3 Pairs,
2 Nests,
0 Chicks. Number actually seen by me: 1
Changeable Skies
Another Friday, another iffy weather Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-20542044887767554372017-06-21T22:21:00.003-04:002017-06-21T22:21:23.981-04:00another cold rainy friday among the least ternsFriday June 16, 2017
Bird of the Day: turkey vulture
Coffee of the Day: Clipper City Roast
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: blue plastic thingie
Invisi-bird Status: Official:Refuge Beach:48 Pairs, 25 Nests, 16 Chicks; Sandy Point: 9 Pairs, 6 Nests, 4 Chicks; Town Beach: 4 Pairs, 2 Nests, no chicks yet. Number actually seen by me: 1.
Beach - Looking South
Somehow I wasn't expecting the cold Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-37015018613178926302017-06-13T22:05:00.002-04:002017-06-19T23:04:34.060-04:00birds, fish, the tide and an appFriday June 9
Bird of the Day: least tern
Coffee of the Day: Sumatra Mandehling
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: a silk flower
Invisi-bird Status: Official: Refuge Beach: 50 Pairs, 15 Nests, 9 Chicks; Sandy Point: 9 Pairs, 8 Nests, no chicks; Town Beach: 5 Pairs, 3 Nests; 3 Chicks. Number actually seen by me: 2
My personal plover pair -- that is, the pair closest to the boundary -- seem to have Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-29775900653260265022017-06-08T21:35:00.000-04:002017-06-08T21:35:24.499-04:00actionFriday June 2
Bird of the Day: least tern
Coffee of the Day: Clipper City Roast
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: an UnderArmour sandal
Invisi-bird Status: Official: haven't seen the report. Number actually seen by me: zero.
Looking South
The day was all about least terns. I lost count of how many there were because they were in constant motion, either flying or running or having sex with each Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-14082138312272174832017-05-31T16:04:00.003-04:002017-05-31T16:04:50.978-04:00northeast windFriday May 26
Bird of the Day:Bonaparte's gull
Coffee of the Day: I forget
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: umm, there's a wrack line in the Black Cow parking lot, that's weird enough
Invisi-bird Status: Official: haven't seen the report yet. Number actually seen by me: zero.
Whitecaps
Following the "if it's not raining at my house, my shift is not rained out" rule, I headed off to Plum Island. Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-55192379565412259472017-05-22T21:34:00.001-04:002017-05-22T21:34:39.899-04:00least terns are back and louder than everFriday May 19
Bird of the Day: least tern
Coffee of the Day: Clipper City Roast
Weird Wrack Item of the Week:
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Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1580270005523318331.post-88347729342859976452017-05-18T21:46:00.000-04:002017-05-18T21:46:08.912-04:00it's happening on the beachFriday May 12
Bird of the Day: piping plover
Coffee of the Day: Tanzania Peaberry
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: a wheel or caster from some piece of office furniture
Invisi-bird Status: Refuge beach: 48 pairs, 20 nests; Sandy Point: 11 pairs, 5 nests; Number actually seen by me: 1.
Piping Plover Stood Still for a Minute
The rain showers stopped just as I was leaving PICR with my coffee. Janet Eganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837822838260529649noreply@blogger.com0