Three new piping plover nests found, 11 chicks hatched, two chicks fledged

The July 4th holiday weekend was a busy one at Cape Henlopen State Park, both for people visiting the park and for the resident piping plovers. Three new plover nests were found, three plover nests hatched and two plover chicks have fledged.

“Fledging for piping plovers occurs when the chick is capable of flying 50 feet or more. It usually takes about 30 days for a plover chick to attain this level of flight capability,” noted Wildlife Biologist Matthew Bailey.

One of the fledglings has been seen on the ocean side of the nesting area at Gordons Pond, and it is only a matter of time before the young plover sets off on its southward migration, Bailey said. The other fledgling is being seen regularly with its attending adults on the bay side of the Point.

Three other nests have hatched on the Point so far this season. “All three hatched within a five day period, so right now, there are 11 little chicks running around out on the Point,” Bailey said. “One brood has moved out to the bay shoreline and the other two broods are foraging at ponded wet areas in the interior of the Point. If these interior areas remain wet enough to sustain the invertebrates upon which the plovers feed, it is possible that the broods will remain there for the entire time that they are chicks.”

One new nest was found at the Point this week with three eggs and is likely to remain at three eggs, Bailey said, noting this determined plover pair has already lost two previous nests to overwash. Re-nests frequently have clutches that are less than the typical four eggs, he added.

Two new nests were found this week at Gordons Pond. The first was spotted with two eggs on the mudflats on the edge of the pond but was lost to predators. The second nest was found with four eggs, out on the open sand of the ocean beach and is currently being incubated.

Also at Gordons Pond, two three-week-old chicks are being observed in the overwashes between the ocean and the pond.