Piping Plover: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — I went down to the beach yesterday specifically to check to see if there were any Piping Plovers yet. A Maine Audubon post said they were back and reminded folks to give them space, but it seemed very early to me. On a long stretch of beach with two breeding areas I found only this one Piping Plover…maybe a pioneer or a forward scout. He will find the beach much changed since the winter and spring storms, but hopefully it will not impact the breeding sites. They are not taped off yet, and indeed, with the beach so changed, it is hard to determine exactly where the plovers might nest. As always these shot were taken at 800mm equivalent and cropped in to at least 1600mm equivalent. I was not nearly as close to this bird as it looks, and I did not walk through the area where it was feeding. Give them space. 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Still early morning light. Processed in Photomator.