Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka's (CFAY) Briggs Bay is the site where migratory, ground-nesting Little Ringed Plovers (Charadrius dubius) lay their eggs, and new nests were recently discovered in the Briggs Bay laydown (construction) area during the Memorial Day weekend.

CFAY’s Public Works Department (PWD) Natural Resource program has been working with the Government of Japan’s South Kanto Defense Bureau (SKDB) and Japanese Engineering District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (JED), to help in the conservation of the birds by protecting their nests from being stepped on or crushed by vehicles or other equipment.

“Two plover nests have been found at Briggs Bay and a total of five adults have been observed,” said Hisako Mawatari, PWD’s Natural Resource program manager. “After hatching, the chicks will become mobile within an hour and leave the nest to find food.”

The bird’s breeding area is normally near freshwater in open gravel areas, usually in areas with little or no plant growth. The eggs are tan with brown speckles and difficult to see in the rocky areas thus camouflaging and protecting them from predators. 

“The PWD’s Environmental Division has asked JED and SKDB contractors to limit their use to half of the allotted space until August when the nests will have hatched and the chicks have fledged,” added Mawatari.

The United States and Japan are both signatories of the Migratory Bird Act that protects the plover which means the use of the Briggs Bay area will be shared until the chicks are fledged and migrate out of the area.

Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka provides, maintains, and operates base facilities and services in support of 7th Fleet's forward-deployed naval forces, 71 tenant commands, and 27,000 military and civilian personnel and their families.

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