06/06/2026
Presqu'ile is an important stop-over site for thousands of shorebirds on their annual migration. Most years the birds come through in small groups, that might only rest and feed for short time before continuing on their migration.
Every once in a while, a very special event occurs, where thousands of birds all descend on the beach at once. These events are called groundings and are usually associated with bad weather.
Visitors to the beach on May 27th were treated to a rare Grounding event. Over 2000 shorebirds were recorded on the beach throughout the day, resting and feeding. Dunlin and Semipalmated Sandpipers made up the majority of birds with smaller numbers of four other shorebird species.
Some of these birds have come from as far away as South America and are headed north to the arctic tundra to breed. Our large beach is a beacon for these birds to find a safe space to land, refuel and rest.
You can help these migratory birds by:
☀️ not chasing the birds,
☀️ keeping dogs off the sand beaches
☀️ ensuring your garbage ends up in the dumpsters
