‘Critical shorebird habitat’: HCT volunteers hit the beach to help piping plovers

Some say the return of herring to Cape Cod runs is the surest sign that spring is dawning on our fair peninsula. But for early season beachgoers and avian aficionados, there is another signature moment: when shorebird protection fencing is strung along the sand.

Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT) volunteers, town of Harwich staff and an AmeriCorps Cape Cod member teamed up this week to install the fencing at Red River Beach and Bank Street Beach in Harwich. The fencing looks kind of casual, consisting of stakes pounded into the beach, connected by two strands of thin rope.

“It’s pretty rudimentary, but it works really well to keep people out of the more critical shorebird habitat,” said Amy Usowski, Conservation Agent for the town of Harwich. “It’s here to help piping plovers and a couple of tern species.”

As many Cape Codders know, piping plovers are listed as threatened on both the state and federal Endangered Species lists.

Here come the plovers

For the casual observer, it might be surprising to learn that piping plovers return to the Cape so early in the year. “Plovers typically arrive around April 1st,” said Usowski. “But they’ve been earlier the past few years.” As if on cue, a plover with impeccable timing greeted the March 24th work party at Red River Beach!

Once the plovers return, the birds establish nesting territories and swing into courtship rituals, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Once a breeding pair is established, the soon-to-be parents create a depression in the sand, high on the beach near the dunes, sometimes lining the nest with shell fragments and small stones. Usually, the pair produces four eggs which hatch in about 25 days.

The stake and rope approach to helping plovers is sometimes called “symbolic fencing,” a way to show people and their dogs where to avoid piping plover nesting areas. “Obviously, we can’t control crows, coyotes or foxes,” said Usowski. “But we’re trying to control what we can in these areas.”

This method has been very successful in Harwich, said Usowski. The goal is to achieve a high “fledge rate,” the average number of plover chicks that survive to fly (fledge), per breeding pair. Assuming that a breeding pair of piping plovers produces four eggs, “we consistently have a fledge rate of three if not four,” said Usowski, well above the state average.

‘Important work’ for HCT and the town of Harwich

The fence brigade moved swiftly along Red River Beach, enjoying the bright sun and sparkling waters of Nantucket Sound. With a bit of imagination, you could almost pretend that it was a summer day, with camaraderie taking the place of higher temperatures.

“This is a project that we help with every year,” said Connor O’Brien, HCT’s Director of Land Stewardship. “I think it’s meaningful for our volunteers, because a lot of our members are birders or have followed the plight of the piping plover, and know this is important work.”

O’Brien also lauded the partnership between HCT and the town of Harwich. “Our shared interests help us accomplish a lot together, with benefits for the entire community,” he said.

As plover season gets underway, a town of Harwich monitoring project will keep an eye on how the birds are doing. One of those monitors, Linda Kelley, was getting a head start on her duties by putting up fencing at Red River Beach. “Once they start nesting, I’ll be coming out here early in the morning, observing and gathering data, which will be sent to the state,” she said.

Kelley will be sharing monitoring duties with Halley Steinmetz, HCT’s Outreach & Administrative Coordinator. And while Kelley is excited about her upcoming citizen science responsibilities, there is another reward for spending time with piping plovers. “They’re just adorable,” she said.

—Sign up for HCT eNews, a great way to stay in the loop about exciting HCT events, guided walks and other interesting news.

—Your tax-deductible contributions help fulfill the mission of the Harwich Conservation Trust to preserve land that protects woods, water, wildlife and our shared quality of life. And your land-saving financial support helps us preserve beautiful properties that can become stellar trail destinations. Find out how to donate by clicking here.