Welcome back to another exciting Piping Plover season at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge!
Welcome back to another exciting Piping Plover season at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge!
We will be updating this page regularly as reports come in from the biologists out on the beach, so be sure to check back throughout the summer for the latest news on our beloved plovers and least terns.
Early Arrivals and a Promising Start
Early Arrivals and a Promising Start
Our Piping Plovers (PIPL) made an early and enthusiastic return this year. During our first beach survey of the season on April 8th, they were already here! By late April, we had 16 confirmed pairs actively displaying courtship behavior. The first nest of the season was discovered on April 23rd with a single egg, which quickly grew to a clutch of three by the end of the month.
Weathering the Elements
As we saw during the 2025 season, nesting on the edge of the Atlantic comes with its fair share of challenges. Over the first weekend of June, a potent combination of very strong winds and a full moon high tide dramatically altered the landscape of the refuge beach. Thick layers of sand were blown up onto the upper beach and dunes.
Sadly, this heavy wind and overwash buried many areas, resulting in the loss of 22 nests. Interestingly, nests located in the middle of the beach fared a bit better than those at the northern and southern ends, likely due to the beach being much narrower in those outer sections.
A Season of Resilience
Despite the difficult weekend, there is plenty of good news! Thirteen nests bravely survived the storm and are still going strong. True to their resilient nature, one pair that lost a nest has already re-nested, bringing our active nest count to 14 (as of June 5th).
Currently, there are at least 35 pairs of plovers on the beach, and we expect our total pairs for the summer to exceed that number as a few more pairs are hanging around. Most of the pairs that lost their nests have been seen back on their territories, giving us great hope for a wave of re-nesting since it is still early in the season.
Least Terns Join the Fray
Our Least Terns (LETE) are also just starting to nest! Stay tuned for our upcoming weekly updates, where we will share more information on adult counts and approximate colony locations as more terns arrive on the scene.
A friendly reminder: To protect these vulnerable birds, please remember that specific nest locations are strictly confidential. Do not share nest locations with anyone. Thank you for your continued support in helping us keep the wildlife safe!
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