50 Steps to Count Your Plover
Well, hi, and welcome back!
In my previous post (available here), I described the difficult balancing act we face in trying to restore as much tidal marsh as possible, while protecting and enhancing enough nesting habitat for breeding western snowy plover that their local populations would be maintained or grow.
I also made an ill-advised joke about a song parody of Paul Simon’s #1 hit from 1975, “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”.*
I got a request – maybe better framed as a dare – from a friend about that. And today is Plover Appreciation Day! So here it is.**
50 Steps to Count Your Plover
The problem is flat, gray habitat, he said to me
The sighting’s not easy, so please take it carefully
I'd like to help you find those birds you want to see
There must be fifty steps to count your plover
He said, it's really hard to spot them from so far
Furthermore, we have to find them from our seats within the car
But I'll repeat myself as I head down to the bar
There must be fifty steps to count your plover
Fifty steps to count your plover
You scout out the nests, Bess
You look through the lens, Jen
You scour the flat, Matt
Put your eyes to the test
You drive real slow, Joe
Check out the map, Cap
You look for the pair, Clare
And hope for the best
He said it pains me so to see these predators
I wish there was something I could do to haze or else deter
I said I agree with that, and would you please explain
About the fifty steps?
He said, why don't you stop restoring tidal flows
And I believe the plover numbers would certainly explode
And then I winced and told him we still need the marsh to grow
We need those…fifty steps to count the plover
Fifty steps to count the plover
Check the G.P.S., Tess
You run on the panne, Jan
Don't step in the crack, Jack
And watch the swear words
Snap on the band, Dan
You measure the egg, Greg
Try to have fun, Son
And just count all the birds
* If you haven’t heard the original song in a while, it’s worth a fresh listen. Paul Simon did fabulous things with percussion and word choice in the lyrics. How many #1 hits have had the word “misconstrued” in them?
** If you hate it, blame Rich.