decline in piping plover numbers in Maine

Check out this news story from in Maine. Apparently piping plover numbers are way down in Maine this year. It doesn't go into enough depth on potential causes like habitat loss and global sea level rise. Oh wait, Maine shouldn't be affected by global sea level rise because it's still bouncing back from the glacier -- Maine is rising along with the sea level. I should look into that. More research stuff for my non-existent book. Anyway, watch the video closely toward the end because the plover actually gets one of those worms. I have always wanted to see this in real life. Still haven't.

do goldfinches eat barnacles?

Coffee of the day: Ethiopian Yrgacheffe.
Stuck on drawbridge: No
Late: yes
Weather: fog, mist, fierce east wind

Piping Plover stats
Adult Pairs
Refuge 7
Sandy Point 5
Total 12

Nests Incubated
Refuge 3
Sandy Point 2
Total 5

Nests Hatched
Refuge 2
Sandy Point 2
Total 4

Chicks <25 days
Refuge 2
Sandy Point 8
Total 10

Chicks >25 days
Refuge 4
Sandy Point None
Total 4

New piping plover nest too.

Least Tern stats
Pairs 35
Colonies 2
Chicks 1

Interesting bird behaviors of the day:

1. Great blue heron standing at the water line for almost two hours, stock still, while the tide began to come in around him. I don't remember ever seeing a great blue on the beach before.
2. A pair of American goldfinches flew in over the dunes, landed on some rocks and began to peck at barnacles. They hung around doing this for about 10 minutes, then flew back toward the dunes. Do goldfinches eat barnacles?
3. Bonaparte's gulls act like shorebirds. Actually this isn't the first time I've seen this but it's still worth remarking on. A small flock of 3 to 4 Bonaparte's gulls was working the waterline probing the wet send with their bills. They walked along, sometimes even doing the foot trembling thing, and paused to probe. Whatever they were eating was small and dark and hard to identify in the fog.
   
4. Tree swallows landing en masse and resting on the beach.

Visitors: 4, two of whom walked right past me into the closed area. One just wasn't paying attention. The other was actively trying to avoid me.

Bird list for today includes only those birds seen on the beach:

Bonaparte's gull
great black back gull
ringbilled gull
herring gull
double crested cormorant
least tern
American goldfinch
great blue heron
common loon
common eider
tree swallow

No witty narrative today. We have tix to see Richard Thompson tonight. Must get going.

Piping Plover chick: On the Edge

Piping Plover chick
Originally uploaded by DaveinMaine

Just saw this on Flickr and HAD to blog it. Somehow the edge seems symbolic. Looks like DaveinMaine got some great photos at the beach today. Wish I were on the beach instead of Gray Cubicle World (well, except for the thunder and lightning in my neck of the woods today).