Piping Plover: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — I took my little collapsing plastic stool (the ones that look a little like a Dalek from Dr. Who) down to the beach yesterday. I got to watch the two week-old plover chicks interact with each other and one parent for 30 minutes or so (without causing too much alarm to the nesting terns behind them). That was the plan for the stool all along, and it worked. The chicks are a little more used to being out of the egg now…not so frantic to explore the whole world all at once. The sun was fierce and I think they were eager to find some shelter under the adult’s wings. Sure looked like they wanted to cuddle though, and who could resist? The plovers live a precarious life sharing the beach with humans. At least while I was there they had some protection from the gulls. Which is maybe why they are willing to share the beach with us. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent (and considerably cropped). Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.