Sign of the season, April 2022

Piping plovers are back on Shell Beach.

An endangered species in New York, they weigh one-and-a-half to two-and-a-quarter ounces.

These delightful birds build their nests in sandy areas near dunes, but with little or no shore grass, and start arriving on their breeding ground from early- to mid-March.

During May and June, one egg is laid every other day until the average clutch of four eggs is complete.

They get their name from the high, “piping” sound they make as they scurry along beaches and take to the skies.