Eggs!

Least Terns and Piping Plovers are considered royalty here on the Cape, and categorized as endangered due to the loss of habitat on the beaches.  That loss is in large part due to human activity, which is controlled now by roped off areas that beachgoers are not allowed to enter.  

It's a treat for the photographers to visit these areas (from a distance, with long lenses) to catch the mating and nesting behaviors.  Least terns are monogamous, nesting in the sand and sharing incubation responsibilities. As I watched, this tern's mate appeared with a fish, causing the bird to rise off of the two spotted eggs, revealing them for my camera.  A short time later, the birds switched responsibilities, and the mate stayed on the next.  I didn't spot any chicks today, but I certainly will be returning in the hopes of finding some of those tiny fluff balls.