Join us on a ride to the Rockaways, where we will meet with Brooklyn Bird Club Walk Leader (and 5BBC member) Linda Ewing to look for shore birds who summer on the beach. Among the species we might see are Least Terns, Piping Plovers, American Oyster Catchers, and Black Skimmers. We will loop by riding over the Marine Park Bridge and returning on the Crossbay Bridge.

Piping Plovers are an endangered species. Because of the impact of global warming and encroaching development on nesting areas, there are only about 8000 Piping Plovers left on earth. Some (fewer than 100) spend their summers here in New York City. They will be in the Rockaways in late spring and will stay there until they migrate south in the fall.

When we pause on our ride, we will do a short walk to the beach. Linda will explain migration and nesting, how habitat degradation affects breeding, and how volunteer groups and government agencies such as the National Park Service work to protect habitat. She can also answer questions about shore birds. We will look for nesting areas of young plovers and their parents. We will bring binoculars to share to enable us to observe the birds from a safe distance. We also encourage riders to bring binoculars (not mandatory).

Will we see plovers this year? We are scheduling the ride to take place when the tide is not too high and the chicks are young so their parents won't wander too far from their nests, but there are no guarantees. We missed them in 2021 and 2022, but saw some in 2023 and 2024. We should see other species of shore birds even if we don't see any plovers. While walking along the ocean, you may forget that you are within the city limits of one of the largest cities in the world.

We will resume the ride after about a 30-45 minute stop, then we will stop for lunch, and head back to Brooklyn.

All riders should bring a helmet, hydration, hand sanitizer/wipes, a spare tube, sunscreen, and a bike in good condition.

This is a moderate-lite ride and you must be able to ride at 11-12 mph over greenways. Also, riders should be comfortable riding over bridges. The round trip ride will be about 33 miles.

Ride Leader Trainee Margery Cooper will be co-leading the ride. We are limiting the number of riders to minimize the chance of our disturbing the birds.

Ride With GPS: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46967103

Cue sheet: Searching for Shore Birds & Endangered Species Piping Plovers in the Rockaways (June 2024)

Lastly, if you sign up for the waitlist and receive a waitlist notification, you must open the email and register for the ride using the link provided in the email. The system does not automatically bump you up to the ride if a spot becomes available.