Piping plovers in Southampton may halt access to one of the town's popular drive-on beaches.

If piping plovers hatch on Picnic Area beach, then residents like Frank Tagliavia may not be able to drive onto the beach and go fishing.

"Nothing much I can do about it so I'll live with it and I'll walk the beach, says Tagliavia.

Trustees in Southampton are monitoring the situation closely. Trustee Scott Horowitz says the town must follow federal guidelines regarding the piping plover because it is an endangered bird.

Horowitz says it's a tough job trying to keep the residents happy and make them understand. He says piping plovers and the nest that was found on the beach come first.

"At the end of the day, the Southampton trustees maintain an endangered species program throughout the entire 26 miles of ocean coastline here in the town of Southampton, and we follow those guidelines very strictly," says Horowitz.

The piping plovers and the nest are being watched on a daily basis. Once the chicks hatch, much of the beach may be off limits.

Piping plovers usually take 30 days to hatch and another 30 to fly, so it could be near the end of the summer before vehicles are allowed back on the beach.