Arwen, pictured above, hatched in June of 2015 and has been nesting at Sandy Island Beach State Park since 2018. Her story is as magical as the character she is named after (“Arwen” is a half-elven in Lord of the Rings).
Why? Because up until 2021, Arwen and her partner Aragorn were the only nesting Piping Plovers along the shore of Lake Ontario in New York.
Together, they fledged nine chicks, and in 2021 they were joined by a new pair of plovers – Arlene and Ajax. These two set a new record, as there haven’t been two nesting pairs at the State Park since the 1940s.
Click here for a feel-good story about three young conservationists who recently went to Washington, DC to represent the Sandy Island plovers at “Great Lakes Day 2024.” Kennedy, the story’s author, joined the New York Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Program the year Arlene and Ajax arrived.
One last piece of good news – our staff spotted their first returning Piping Plover on Long Island’s north shore! This means it’s officially time to begin sharing our shore with vulnerable birds. You can also share the “Be a Good Egg” pledge with friends and family! |
