Piping Plover That Cancelled Fireworks Was Montauk's First in Recent Memory

The Montauk Chamber of Commerce delayed — and ultimately canceled — its annual “Stars Over Montauk” fireworks display after East Hampton Town fire marshals discovered a piping plover nest in the vicinity of the site.

East Hampton Town Environmental Planning Director Kim Shaw said the federally protected piping plover was the first she’d encountered in Montauk in her 13 years working for the town.

The news originally came when the Montauk Chamber of Commerce announced the postponement on its @VisitMontauk Instagram page. The original post did not specify a reason, but word soon spread via social media that the discovery of the piping plover nest caused the delay. Originally, the Montauk Chamber of Commerce postponed the event until Sunday, July 6, before ultimately canceling it.

After the postponement, multiple parties across local, state and federal levels tried to find a workaround, according to the Instagram post.

The State Department of Environmental Conservation lists piping plovers as endangered, and the federal government lists the species as threatened. Local officials are compelled to follow those designations when making decisions.

The East Hampton Town Department of Natural Resources, which Shaw helms, has several stewards that monitor the beaches from the beginning of each season to the end looking for piping plovers. Once found, the department puts up the necessary structures and fencing.

In some cases, the department puts up symbolic fencing, which is just wooden stakes tied together with strings and marked with flags. The idea there is to show people that the birds are nesting, meaning no one should enter. The town, though, doesn’t have to commit to the labor for more secure fencing.

Out in Montauk, Shaw and her team put up more durable beach fencing after hearing about the piping plovers. On Monday morning, the natural resources staff went down to the site to build an enclosure. The pair of piping plovers returned that day.

“We’ve never had a bird down there,” Shaw said. “I’ve been with the town for 13 years. We check every season — never had birds, but the conditions were right.”

Just before the fireworks, the fire marshals found the nest and saw the female trying to distract passersby. The officials called Shaw and a handful of others. Shaw and the team cordoned off the section. At the site, she found four eggs laid together, known as a clutch.

If the fireworks went off, it could have scared the adults, causing them to abandon the eggs, Shaw said.

“There was no other way to have the show in that location and keep the birds safe,” she said.

The village will likely have the same problem, Shaw said. There, the birds are right near Main Beach, where the village plans to shoot off fireworks later in the year, in August.

As for why the piping plovers never go to Montauk, Shaw said: “Whatever reason. We’ve just never seen them there.” Typically, she said, the pairs return to the same spot each year. Some birds the town has banded have returned to the same spot for 10 years. Piping plovers are pretty territorial, Shaw said. While Montauk is not a common spot for piping plovers, the birds do nest as close as Napeague.

Shaw understands some negativity surrounds the restrictions that come with the presence of piping plovers, such as limitations on beach driving.

“But we should be embracing that we have an endangered species that’s tiny, that comes back every year,” Shaw said. “It’s pretty incredible to consider their journey, and we should be embracing it and sort of celebrating it, like down south, in North Carolina.”

Down there, Shaw continued, the population largely thinks of conservation efforts as a positive. Once the birds leave, residents can again enjoy the beach.

“It’s just a short window for something that’s pretty neat, like our beaches are unique, and they’re rated by all these agencies as number one beaches,” she went on.

After the postponement, East Hampton Town Councilman Tom Flight sought to tamp down rumor and anger in a Facebook post.

“I hope you all got to enjoy a spectacular 4th of July,” Flight wrote. “The weather could not have been better, and the sheer number of people in town was incredible, and I hope a boon to all the businesses out here. I am sorry the fireworks could not go ahead, it was the perfect evening; I hope people got to enjoy it irrespective.”

The chain of events was one nobody expected, he said, going on to commend the efforts of town officials and the chamber of commerce. Flight said he was happy to answer questions, as he has seen misinformation spread.

The fire marshal safety inspection team arrived onsite at 4:30 a.m. to wait for the set up, Flight said. At around 4 p.m., the officials found the nest. Flight and Chief Fire Marshal David Browne met with the chamber of commerce to review alternate sites.

In the end, though, the organizers couldn’t proceed at any other spot without the proper permits. There was no way to get a state permit at 4 p.m. on July Fourth weekend, hence the postponement.

“I apologize to all who came out to see the fireworks,” he said. “I hope you still had an amazing evening. Thank you to all who helped manage the crowds.”

Montauk Chamber of Commerce Co-President Leo Daunt said the organization hadn’t yet rescheduled the fireworks for a later date.