Yesterday was Labor Day, and we have hit the unofficial end of the beach season in Connecticut. Our Piping Plovers have finished nesting, and there are only a handful left in the state that will soon depart. Even during this year's COVID-19 pandemic the shoreline was filled with people for most of the summer.
Can you spot the Piping Plover sitting on a nest in the first photo? These images are from July 4, 2020 in Milford. That bird actually incubated through the activity, but the nest was lost a day or two later. This is not to assign any blame to anyone specific or groups of people visiting the shore in general, or to assess whether or not this was in line with best practices for public health and safety with people packed together so tightly including many visitors from neighboring states...it is what it is, and discussions like this go far beyond a blog or Facebook post.
The point is this is what the birds have to cope with annually, made all the more difficult in 2020 with fewer staff, less fencing and signage, and more people flocking to the outdoors than ever, often neglecting the environment by trespassing, harassing wildlife, littering, and so forth. This is all part of why our efforts by volunteers and staff are so vital to protecting endangered species and habitats.
Scott Kruitbosch
AAfCW Volunteer Coordinator
RTPI Manager of Connecticut Programs
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