The least terns have departed and piping plovers are dispersing after a modest year on Laudholm Beach. According to Katrina Amaral, biologist at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, two pairs of plovers attended Laudholm Beach this summer. Together, they made four nesting attempts. Each pair lost an early nest due to high tides on Memorial Day weekend, but both pairs nested again and one successfully hatched and fledged two chicks. The other nest was lost to an unknown cause.

Plovers had a pretty good summer overall in Maine this year, led by Ogunquit Beach's remarkable 26 chicks.

Only one pair of least terns attempted to nest on Laudholm Beach, but that nest was overwashed and the birds did not make another attempt.

In early August, as plovers begin to move between sites, Katrina had been tallying as many as 25 plovers roosting or foraging on Laudholm Beach. They will probably all migrate south before long.

Photo of piping plover chick © John Owen