A piping plover walks along Higgins Beach in Scarborough in early May 2024. Derek Davis / Portland Press Herald

The first piping plover of the season was spotted on Higgins Beach in Scarborough last week and the endangered bird species, which can typically be found on Maine’s beaches from April through August, are trending toward an early-to-mid-March arrival date in Scarborough.

“The past three years in a row they’ve been arriving earlier and earlier,” said Jami Fitch, the town’s sustainability coordinator. “Last year, the first sighting was around March 14, the year before it was March 17 and it was March 11 this year.”

While the birds are arriving earlier in Scarborough, the same can’t be said across the rest of Maine’s coast.

“The reports I’m getting statewide are relatively consistent,” said Laura Minich Zitske, associate director of conservation at Maine Audubon, while Scarborough reports have been trending earlier.

Zitske noted a piping plover was reported in Old Orchard Beach on Tuesday, March 18.

There are a number of reasons that could be contributing to the early arrivals in Scarborough.

One reason, Fitch said, could be warming temperatures and Scarborough is one of the piping plovers’ southernmost stops in Maine. However, she cautioned it is just a hypothesis.

“I can speculate that it’s because our temperatures are warming so they’re moving north earlier, but we don’t know that for sure,” Fitch said.

It could also be attributed to Scarborough having “a little bit more success in recent years” with fledges than beaches in other towns, Zitske said.

“Last year, thanks largely to great successes at Western Beach, Scarborough fledged 54 chicks, which is quite a lot,” she said.

The 54 chicks that fledged last year in Scarborough represent roughly 22% of the 237 chicks that fledged across the entire state, according to data provided by the Maine Audubon.

At this stage in the piping plovers’ time in Maine, the birds are either passing through the area or “staking out territory” for potential nesting areas, Zitske said.

Soon – if not already – piping plovers will be found on all four of Scarborough’s beaches; Higgins Beach is most often the site of the first report.

“That’s because we have a large group of interested people who live down there (near Higgins) or go frequently and are often on high alert at this time of year, looking out for plovers,” Fitch said. “They are probably stopping off at our other beaches as well.”

Protecting the nests

The first wave of the town’s rules concerning dogs on the beach kicks in on April 1. Dogs are permitted on the beach at all times up until May 15, but must be leashed from 1 to 3 p.m. Restricted areas for plovers do not come into effect until next month and the town has no grounds to enforce the restriction until April 1 even though plovers are already on the beach.

From April 1 to May 15, dogs are not allowed to enter the restricted area at Higgins Beach and Ferry Beach, and must be leashed in these areas on Pine Point Beach.

In the meantime, the town is spreading awareness in hopes of beachgoers voluntarily taking precautions.

“Most people are familiar with our restricted areas, which are the areas where the plovers are most likely to nest,” she said. “We are just asking people to be aware when they have their dogs, asking them to leash in the restricted areas and be on the lookout for plovers.”

From May 15 through Labor Day, dogs aren’t allowed on the three town-owned beaches from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and must be on a leash after 5 p.m. They may be off-leash from dawn until 9 a.m. After Labor Day, dogs must be on a leash from 1 to 3 p.m.

At Scarborough Beach State Park, dogs are prohibited from April 1 to Oct. 1.

This article was edited on March 24 to correct Scarborough’s rules pertaining to dogs on the beach. Dogs are allowed on the beach off-leash from dawn until 9 a.m. between May 15 and Labor Day.