“We finally have plover chicks! As you’re probably aware, one brood hatched on private property and then moved onto the refuge a week ago, and one brood hatched on the refuge as of today. Many other pairs (at least 33 … Continue reading →
From Ranger Matt Poole: “Effective sunset on June 4th, the ENTIRE refuge beach will be closed to all public access until further notice. Why the change you ask? Some piping plover chicks, hatched from a nest immediately north of the … Continue reading →
“The plovers haven’t started hatching yet, but it should be any day now. Unfortunately, the plovers and terns were hit hard by a combination of predators and bad weather over Memorial Day weekend. I’ve found a total of 52 plover … Continue reading →
“We currently have 20 active plover nests on the refuge. A few nests overwashed during the spring tides, which is to be expected. Unfortunately, predators (primarily crows) also took seven nests. Even so, the first nest could hatch next week! … Continue reading →
On March 27, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and The Friends of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge collaborated on the spring beach cleanup. About 30 volunteers removed about 400 pounds of trash from the refuge beach prior to piping plover … Continue reading →
The plovers have officially started nesting! I found four nests this week, including a nest inside a lobster trap for the second year in a row. Unfortunately, one of the other nests was already predated. I’m unsure of the culprit, … Continue reading →
Plovers are continuing to trickle in, and I observed 24 pairs and 15 singles this week (a marked increase over the 9 pairs and 9 singles from last week). They’re not nesting yet, but some pairs have been defending their … Continue reading →
“High surf continued throughout the week, bringing with it some oddities (like a beaver that took a three-mile stroll) and making the beach extra narrow. Plovers are still trickling in regardless, and I counted 15 pairs and 9 singles yesterday. … Continue reading →
“I’m writing with the first weekly plover update of 2021. In total, I counted 11 pairs and 15 single adults on Friday. Even though the beach looks narrower and lower than last year, the plovers are quickly settling in and … Continue reading →
“The Merrimack – River at Risk” “The Merrimack River is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in America. Mills in cities such as Manchester and Lowell harnessed the power of the river to become the largest manufacturing plants in the … Continue reading →
