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July 2016

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From:
Dave Horn <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Dave Horn <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 9 Jul 2016 11:46:03 -0400
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Hi All,

I've just returned from a weekend trip to two beaches (Plum Island, MA and
Drakes Island, ME) that host healthy populations of besting piping plovers
and least terns.  In both places there are barriers and signage, and
visitors and residents respect them.  The Drakes Islanders are quite proud
of "their" birds and very willing to report any instances of molestation to
the local beach patrol who are a visible presence along the public beaches
doing their usual job of enforcing alcohol and glass restrictions and
administering first aid.  At Plum Id. it's US Fish and Wildlife folks who
do the enforcing, with very little trouble.  Local people there caught onto
the value of rare birds years ago and have no difficulty turning in
offenders.  I think Ohio DNR could reap some positive benefits by
designating a few rare stretches of sand beach "For The Birds," with or
without piping plovers.

BTW yes, this is an Ohio listserve but if you're ever in eastern Mass. with
a few hours to spare, Plum Island is a good birding venue at any time of
year.

Bird On!

Dave Horn
(Worcester, MA)


On Sat, Jul 9, 2016 at 9:27 AM, Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I ran across an interesting account made by folks from Iowa (which
> hosted nesting piping plovers in the old days) during a trip across the
> Canadian side of the Great Lakes, at http://scarthphoto.com/wp/  . You
> will see some of the serious fencing-off (of humans and dogs) the
> Canadians are deploying to encourage these birds. I don't know of any
> successful habitat protections in Ohio.
>        A friend of mine spent some time protecting piping plovers on Long
> Island, and found indifference among the local humans; one driver of a
> hulking off-road vehicle told her not to worry: "you can run over them
> little birds, and they just pop up from the sand after you go by."
>        Best (sparse) chances of seeing one of these in Ohio start in late
> July--and have been recorded into early November--after they leave their
> nests in the north. They tend to appear briefly in spring, when they are
> seldom found, though they must pass by. They used to nest on sand
> shorelines in all of Ohio's Lake Erie counties, but as far as I can tell
> the states' last nest was verified in 1942. In 2001, Peterjohn wrote of
> Ohio that "They presently average one sighting every two or three
> years," adding that "The majority of inland sightings are from the
> Columbus area, where they normally appear once or twice each decade." He
> was speaking of mudflats during fall drawdowns at Hoover Reservoir near
> his home, but I don't know why other spots with similar habitat wouldn't
> serve the same purpose if folks looked for them much elsewhere.
> Protection efforts in the US and Canada have reversed their decline
> somewhat in recent years. In 1856, Wheaton observed five of them on a
> bar in the Scioto River in Columbus, so recovery efforts have a long way
> to go. If you have verifiable sightings of this bird in Ohio, send data
> to US Fish & Wildlife Service.
> Bill Whan
>
>
>
>
>
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