May 25, 2010
Vol. 40, No. 176

For more information, contact Matthew Bailey, Wildlife Biologist, Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, 302-382-4151, or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

First piping plover eggs due to hatch this week on the Point

Six piping plover pairs continue to watch over their nests on the Point at Cape Henlopen State Park. Another pair at the Point is strongly defending an overwash that has five to 10 active scrapes in it, and they are expected to settle into a nest soon.

Plover hatches are expected to begin sometime this week at the Point. Hatch dates are estimated using 25 days as the incubation period, though 26 or 27 days is more typical. “If the exact date when incubation started is in doubt we pick the earliest of the possible dates. This results in a typical buffer time of two to three days, so that we can be sure to get an observation of the nest on the actual day of hatch,” said Wildlife Biologist Matthew Bailey.

Gordons Pond still does not have an active nest, but at least one pair of piping plovers has set up territory. One overwash has about five active scrapes while two others have one scrape each. 

“At this point, we can’t determine if there is more than one pair of plovers with a territory down at Gordons, or if there is just one pair that are making scrapes over a very large area. We are searching Gordons Pond and surrounding areas vigilantly and hope to report a plover nest there soon,” Bailey said.

In other beachnester news, two oystercatcher nests have been spotted at Cape Henlopen, one at the Point and one at Gordons Pond. The Point nest is likely a renest from a pair whose nest was taken by predators on May 5. A third pair of oystercatchers appears to have set up a territory on the tip of the Point, so a nest may be found there in the near future.

Least terns are being observed daily flying offshore and resting on the shoreline at Cape Henlopen. As of the last five days, they also have been seen making scrapes at both the Point and Gordons Pond. No least tern eggs have been observed yet.