“We currently have 24 nests and 10 broods of piping plovers (totaling 24 chicks). Some pairs are still laying eggs while some chicks are newly hatched and others have already lost most of their down feathers. During our survey today, Nancy and I noticed that the chicks in the middle of the beach were growing more quickly than those near the boundaries. In short, we were reminded that chicks grow much more quickly when they can forage without disturbance.”