Piping Plovers Have Hatched At Sand Hill Cove

NARRAGANSETT, RI—Three piping plover chicks have survived the parking lot at Roger Wheeler State Beach, according to the state Department of Environmental Management. The chicks, which hatched this week, and the two adults also made it safely from their nest to the beach dune, thanks to help from volunteers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The birds, which are endangered, picked "a strip of vegetation sprouting from a crack in the parking lot at Roger Wheeler State Beach in Narragansett" to make a nest, the DEM said Friday. The strip was about 100 yards away from the beach, and the state roped off a section of the parking lot near the nest. Despite some grousing from a few beach-goers, people cooperated, and most said they were thrilled the plovers were there and happy to help.

There's a lot at stake for the piping plovers, Janet Coit, DEM's director, pointed out.

"With fewer than 4,000 piping plovers on the Atlantic coast, each one makes a difference, and we're excited to see one of the marvels of nature unfolding at our state beach," she said. "Working with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, DEM will do everything we can to protect these plovers and give the nest its best chance at hatching. Because this will require many logistics and reduce the number of parking spots in the lot, however, we ask for beach-goers' patience and understanding in the weeks ahead."

Jennifer D. White, Ph.D., USFWS Wildlife Biologist and Piping Plover Coordinator, said piping plovers are still endangered but their numbers have increased in Rhode Island.

"Since becoming a protected species in 1986 and thanks to the hard work of volunteers, private land owners, government, and non-government organizations, plover numbers in Rhode Island have increased from less than 20 pairs in the 1980s to just under 100 pairs in the last few years," she said. "With the right protections in place and some luck, we hope this pair of plovers succeeds at hatching their nest and adding to the local population."

Photo Credit: Mike Stultz, DEM