As we walked along the New Haven shoreline at Sandy Point we spotted a young Piping Plover foraging along the rack line. The chick was quite confiding, seemingly oblivious to our stares, and sometime approaching quite close. Since we were near the water, well below the high tide line, we had a birds-eye view. Further up in the dunes the breeding area has been roped off. Habitat there seems to good area for the plovers, as there are few people and almost never any dogs. Still, the local population seemed sparse, and both Piping Plovers and Least Tern numbers were less than we've seen on in previous years. Piping Plovers remain an endangered species, and widespread efforts are under way to enhance their numbers, as with out Snowy Plovers out west.
Piping Plover has orange legs and a short stout bill, setting it apart from our similar Snowy Plover. I'm guessing that the chick seen here is about 20 days old, still in "juvenal" plumage. The large bill and eyes are certainly impressive, helping the precocial chick find and capture prey.
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