21 Apr 11 PPs mating Mlf Pt

Mating PPs at Mlf Pt, 21 Apr 11.
The second video shows the beginning of a courtship/mating cycle. Here the male performs a tilt display and symbolic nest scraping; the female goes to the nest scrape and stands under the males upraised and spread tail feathers. In the first video the male performs goosestepping as her pursues the female. He seems to acually kick her before mounting on top of her. All the time the wind is blowing quite hard.

PP pair, 17 Apr, Mlf Pt spit

Today we found 7 PPs on the Milford Point spit--on Thursday we found only 2. Last night we had a big storm, and the spit was washed over. Here is a still and a video of the pair at the beginning of the spit. We assume the one on the left is the female because she is paler overall, has a smaller necklace and forehead line and less orange at the base of the bill.

E. B'way PP pair, 4/14/11

The Piping Plovers were back at their usual spot on the E B'way beach in Milford CT today, April 14, 2011. Below, a few still images, then a 45 second video of the male at 2: 41 PM; then the female (16 seconds). Both were relatively inactive today, as was the single pair we found at Milford Point. Perhaps the recent violent storm took something out of them

PPs parallel running 7 April 2011

Today, 7 April 2011, while doing our usual monitoring of the Piping Plovers at the Milford Point spit, we saw 7-9 PPs, including the pair of males in this video. They seem to be performing parallel running, the behavior usually seen after nests have been established by nesting neighbors to demarcate their territories' bondaries. Courtship behavior and territorial charging both in evidence today. (Note: many (250) Bonaparte Gulls on other sandbars; 3 pair of American Oystercatchers; a pair of Horned Larks on the spit. N. Gannets diving, RB Mergs displaying.)

Piping Plover establishing territory Mlf Pt 30 March 11

A few videos of a group of five Piping Plover chasing each other as they establish territorial rights at Milford Point, 30 March 2011. Around noon on a mostly sunny day, just past high tide, about 40 degrees, windy.

East Broadway Pipers 28 March

The East Broadway Piping Plover pair were at their usual location foraging on the wet sand, and they were showing off their foot-trembling expertise. First, a few still shots of the male, then a few videos demonstrating foot-trembling, the technique used to get the invertebrates moving.

Piping Plover Goosestepping 20 March 2011

The 2011 season begins with three shots of the new Piping Plovers (male, female, male) and a video of a Piping Plover goosestepping on the spit at Milford Point. Five 5 PPs were seen today: twwo male/female courting pairs and one single. Notice how fresh the plumage is and how striking the difference in bill color and collar definition between the male and female.

The first NE PPs for 2011 were sighted in RI around 3 March; subsequently PPs were seen at Stratford (Miley Bull and on the 6th) and Milford (on the 16th by Tom & Laura Z.)