Cedar Beach Piping Plover family 6/30/11

Short video of the family of 2 adults and 2 chicks (probably the group from exclosure #1) at Cedar Beach on a beautiful (75 degrees, sunny) 30 June 11 at Cedar Beach (Milford Pt spit) when many people were enjoying the beach while oblivious to the Piping Plovers. Much beach grooming activity, esp with use of large machine, getting rid of much wrack debris prized by birds. The chicks must be around 4 weeks old. Nearby was the family of 2 adults and 4 chicks--they've always been at the water's edge or near to it, and always near the beached rowboat. Injured Sanderling (bad leg), looking bad, in same location, but no other shorebirds around right now. One of the two pairs of American Oystercatchers whose nests were washed out has apparently started a new nest on the western extension of the Francis Street spit. Today at least 100 Common Terns (with a few Roseates possibly mixed in) were on nearby sandbars, and two Least Terns were on the spit. One final note: Julie Victoria announced her retirement in a message to Piping Plover volunteers today. We wish her well and hope for someone similarly devoted to the PPs to take her place.