Along the narrow strip of sand between the Atlantic and the barrier dunes, a team of environmental stewards search the beach as if hunting for treasure. They’re looking for nests with eggs so perfectly camouflaged that it takes a well-trained eye to see them.
The Outer Beach is the fragile habitat of the endangered piping plover, which are returning home from warmer climes to nest along the South Shore. Miles of string fence separates the nesting areas and the sandy beaches east of the Smith Point pavilion, a plover haven, along with oyster catchers, least terns, and other creatures who share the beach with humans.
“They are very territorial, which is crazy for these little birds,” noted steward Sophia A. as she observed a plover zipping across the sand. “They do like their personal space.”
The stewards will note nest locations and if need be, call for the construction of an exclosure, a round fence around the eggs that the birds can get through, but predators cannot. The presence of this rare species sets up a conflict each year between the plovers and beach goers, though the county has been able to keep the beach open by setting aside nesting areas.
On Long Island, piping plovers arrive in early spring, typically March, and remain through late summer as they raise their young. The birds nest directly on open sand, laying three to four speckled eggs that blend almost perfectly with their surroundings. Chicks hatch within about four weeks and begin running across the beach within hours, feeding themselves on small insects and marine invertebrates.
According to shorebird conservation groups, the Atlantic Coast population has slowly rebounded since federal protections were enacted in 1986, but the species remains threatened. On Long Island, careful monitoring, predator control, and public cooperation have helped increase nesting success in recent years.
For the stewards walking the beach each day, every nest is a small victory—one more chance for a species still fighting for space in a crowded world.