 Decades of development have interrupted the wide sandy beaches plovers need to nest. The population in Maine was down to just a handful of breeding pairs back in the early 80s. Last year, nearly 160 nesting pairs were sighted. While Laura Minik-Zitzke keeps a close eye on plovers for Maine Audubon, her husband Brad Zitzke serves as state shorebird biologist at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.