It’s a good thing that the fact someone named Vanguard after the NXIVM cult leader, who is currently serving a life sentence for a series of heinous crimes, got lost in the complex history of Plover Park. It was never the intention to glorify a sex criminal. “Vanguard” was simply the perfect name to reflect this young bird’s brave attempts to conquer the highest and most prominent point, the vanguard, of the park in his very first year.
It would generally be unfortunate that most people hearing the name Vanguard for the first time think it is a crass and brazen commercial for the financial services powerhouse of the same name. If only they knew the truth!
There is little doubt that Vanguard is the reincarnation of one of Plover Park’s original settlers and most infamous characters, Octavius Rex. Octavius Rex also attempted to settle the massive hill above the large pond during his first year. Also, like Octavius Rex, Vanguard is a scrappy little bully who, right or wrong, believes the entire pond complex belongs to him and him only.
Unfortunately, while controlling the park’s highest plateau is something of a trophy and bestows all the appropriate bragging rights to the conqueror, it is also a favorite spot for crows, gulls, and any other predators who enjoy the advantages of controlling the vanguard. And so Vanguard lost his nest and his young mate quite quickly last year and, sadly, never attempted another one. Like Octavius Rex, he just hung around in bachelor mode for the rest of the 2024 summer and made life difficult for all of the other plovers.
So it was a shock this year when Vanguard returned early. Not only because he was the very first in the park to nest but also because he and his mate chose to lay in the craziest spot ever attempted in the history of the park. If you visited the Barnegat Light inlet this spring, you most likely walked within 20 feet of Vanguard’s nest. Despite the constant foot traffic and incredible danger, we must hand it to Vanguard that he sat still as a tiny, sand-colored shell for weeks, going completely undetected, even by birders and wildlife photographers who were actively seeking plovers.
While people didn’t notice little Vanguard sitting patiently under a tiny plant, a pesky fox sure did, and Vanguard sadly lost his nest and his chance to hatch the very first chicks of 2025. Everyone has been wondering in the aftermath: would Vanguard give up and mope around the park for the rest of the summer as he did last year?
A few days ago, I met up with Bri, the Knife Hero from New Jersey Fish & Wildlife, to discuss some strategies for keeping the fox from getting too comfortable in the restoration area. On our walk out, we did a quick check of Vanguard’s stomping grounds. Luckily, the camera was rolling!
What’s funny here is how easy this video makes it look to find a new, tiny, camouflaged egg in such a vast landscape. What you don’t see are the months and years of getting to know these animals, their territories, their quirks, and their habits.
But what really makes it look so easy is our secret sauce in the Barnegat Light habitat restoration area. Teamwork. Enjoy this virtual nest find video.
