6/16/14

After arriving late last night to our cabins in the Codroy Valley (southern Newfoundland), we spent our first day at the whim of the weather. The morning produced one hundred kilometer per hour winds and steady rain but the storm lifted by lunch time and we were able to spend the afternoon with the Plovers on the beach. The Plovers or Piping Plovers more specifically, are an endangered bird species that reproduce on the beaches of southern Newfoundland. They are also found on the beaches of northern Massachusetts (particularly at Crane's Beach in Ipswich), and in the winter, as far south as South Carolina. One of QLF's projects is to patrol the beaches making sure the bids have a safe and comfortable environment to reproduce and grow their young. On this day, we patrolled the beach known to the locals as "Second Beach" and got our first glances at the birds. They blend in so well that without moving they are completely camouflaged. Along with locating the birds, we also had to instal signs in the sand that warn people of the birds and their nests. A common problem in Newfoundland is people driving ATV's and other motorized vehicles on the beach which have caused some serious damage to the birds' environments in a few instances. However, a few stragglers are still using the beaches and creating problems for the birds.

A Piping Plover