Piping plover chicks hatching, fledging at Cape Henlopen

CAPE HENLOPEN (July 14, 2011) – Some of the piping plover pairs nesting at Cape Henlopen State Park are ahead of schedule with hatching chicks while others are somewhat behind this week – and one pair on the Point actually is both ahead of schedule and behind, Wildlife Biologist Matthew Bailey reported.

On the Point, a nest that had been estimated to hatch about July 9 was two days early. On the evening of July 7, one tiny chick was seen running around just outside the nest’s predator exclosure while an adult incubated the remaining eggs. Since that evening, the plovers have continued to incubate the three eggs and the first chick has not been seen. Although it is not unusual for a nest to take several days to hatch, a hiatus of six days between eggs hatching is very unusual, Bailey noted.

As of yesterday morning, two other nests on the Point are hatching, both a day or two ahead of the estimated hatch date. However, it is not unusual to have nests in July hatching a little early, perhaps due to the heat of mid-summer increasing the rate at which embryos develop, Bailey said.

The first had one egg and one chick still in the nest, and another chick about 20 feet from the nest. “Observations of the adults suggested that yet another chick may have been in nearby beach grass, but since we don’t want to unduly disturb newly hatched chicks and risk scattering the brood, we don’t press too hard to get a full count while nests are in the process of hatching,” Bailey said, adding that the other nest has two eggs and two chicks.

One aspect of plover breeding that has been going right on schedule has been chick fledging.  As of yesterday, two chicks have fledged and another is expected to fledge in the next 10 days, Bailey said.

Despite regular and thorough searches of the nesting area at Gordon’s Pond, plovers there are showing no signs of re-nesting after losing their nest/brood on the night of the estimated hatch date. Plovers have been observed down at Gordon’s Pond since the loss, but they are not defending any specific area and no nest scrapes are being found.

Additionally, no evidence of continued breeding activity by least terns or American oystercatchers has been observed for the last two weeks. Pending the results of scheduled surveys for later this week and over the weekend, the ocean beach at Gordon’s Pond may be opened to the public as early as next week.

For more information on beachnesters and monitoring efforts, please contact Wildlife Biologist Matthew Bailey at 302-382-4151 or email matthew.bailey@state.de.us.

Vol. 41, No. 264