Judy Brainerd of Orleans says she’s been monitoring nesting Piping Plovers for 15 years or—as she puts it—“since before email.”
Piping Plover monitor Judy Brainerd surveys her beach
She came to plovers by accident.
“I was living in Eastham and attending training sessions to become a trail naturalist,” she says. “Then Bob (Prescott) asked the volunteers if anyone had a beach sticker for South Sunken Meadow and could monitor Piping Plovers there. I raised my hand because I saw a great opportunity to take my dog for a walk on a lovely beach,” she recalls.
Until she learned that dogs and nesting plovers don’t mix. But she stuck with the plovers.
The monitoring job has become especially interesting to Judy and other South Sunken Meadow volunteers in recent years with the arrival of a male bird banded during the winter in Georgia. “El Bandito”, as he’s been dubbed here, has provided rare insight into one bird’s behavior and experiences.
“Thanks to the bands, we know he hung around the beach for the entire summer of 2013 without any success at breeding,” Judy says. ” And we knew who he was when he returned last summer, secured a mate, and fledged his first chick.”
This year “Bandito” has upped his productivity and fledged three chicks. (It should be noted that Mrs. B, as is true for most breeding female plovers, departed the site not long after the chicks hatched.)
Learning even a small amount about one bird makes Judy hungry for more information. “I wish we could band our chicks to see where they go!”
“Bandito” and his original four chicks. Photo by Sherri VandenAkker