PORTLAND, Maine - State wildlife experts say they've found the first piping plover nest of the season, as the small shore birds make their way to Maine beaches.
Maine Audubon Seasonal Biologist Tracie Bellinger says the nest was found Monday at Fortune Rock's Beach in Biddeford. She says the nest already had two eggs in it, with a total of four expected.
Now that nesting is underway, biologists are hoping for another successful season for the birds, which are protected as endangered in Maine and as threatened under federal law.
Last year nearly 100 plover chicks took flight from Maine beaches. "So we're hoping to see some of those younger birds starting to come back to the beaches in Maine," Bellinger says, "and we hope every single year we have more pairs here."
Officials note that under federal guidelines, any pets on beaches with plovers need to be leashed and under control of their owners at all times between April 1 to Aug. 31. In some areas, dogs are prohibited beginning April 1.
