Many, many thanks to Gloucester Daily Times’s writer Ethan Forman and Editor-in-Chief Andrea Holbrook for today’s story about out GHB Plovers. Ethan always takes the time to get it right. Thank you!!!
By Ethan F orman Staff Writer
Despite the loss of some tiny chicks to storms this summer, efforts to protect the threatened piping plover shorebirds at Gloucester’s Good Harbor Beach by the Piping Plover Ambassadors and Mass Audubon were deemed a success this summer.
Three pairs of piping plovers nested at Good Harbor Beach, one more than usual.
Those watching over the piping plovers said they again spotted Super Mom, the onelegged piping plover who has been coming to the beach since 2016.
“It was fantastic in many ways,” said Gloucester resident Kim Smith, who heads up the efforts of about 20 Piping Plover Ambassadors. She believes climate change affected the piping plovers “in a funny way this year.”
“I think because of the extreme storms that we had,” she said. “We lost basically six chicks during extreme weather. That’s a lot.”
Despite the loss of those chicks, efforts to protect them and the survivors were successful, Smith said.
“We worked with Mass Audubon this year, we had many more eyes on the chicks, and if we hadn’t had those storms, we would’ve fledged
Well deserved! Thanks for all for inspiration to volunteer ~ from planting milkweed to saving the “Plovers” ~ all good work for saving our island and so much more!