Piping Plover

Thanks to COVID-19, we Connecticut residents are now not encouraged to cross the border into Rhode Island, which means that my favorite natural history beach, Napatree Point in Watch Hill, RI, is supposed to be off limits to "foreigners." I'm sympathetic, but our section of the two-state area is really one region, so, early this morning when I didn't expect to see anyone else, I hazarded a trip to the shore to enjoy the aftermath of yesterday's gale and to see whether the first waves of shorebirds had arrived. There were plenty of American Oystercatchers yakking up a storm, a few remaining Dunlin and Brant, and, just when I thought I'd be skunked, this charmer—one of the rare species that keeps part of the beach off-limits to everyone. Welcome back, Piping Plovers—and may the relative lack of beach-going tourists... from both states... make this a banner breeding and plover-rearing spring!