What are the Piping Plovers Up To?
Four captive-raised piping plovers that were released July 12 by Brad Semel of Illinois Department of Natural Resources had a productive 3 weeks here in Lake County fattening up on tiny insects and learning how to navigate life along the Lake Michigan shoreline. They also acquired cute names (Marram, Blaze, Pepper, and Sunny) and a fan club of birdwatchers entranced with their antics. Sadly, 1 chick was found dead after a big overnight storm Friday, July 28, but the remaining 3 survived unscathed. A crew of dedicated plover monitors trackedtheir whereabouts and activities while they were here, providing IDNR, USFWS, and the plover research community with valuable information about the ability of captive-raised chicks to adapt to life in the wild and all of its dangers and delights.
In August, the 3 surviving chicks headed off on their first migration to the shores of the southern US. Piping plovers usually winter on the Gulf Coast or the southern Atlantic coast -- a long flight for a 7-inch bird!. Migration is one of the most dangerous times in a bird's life, especially the first year. Plover watchers in the south watch for and report on birds that arrive. Remarkably, as of January 2024, 2 of our 3 chicks have been spotted on their wintering grounds! Blaze is in North Carolina and Pepper is in Florida; both seem to be thriving and exhibiting healthy plover behaviors. We wish them (and their 3 siblings who were released at Montrose) a restful winter and a safe journey back ‘home’ this spring, wherever they decide to land. With luck, we may see them back on our shores next spring to raise families of their own.
LCAS would like to extend our profound thanks to the birding community members who spent many hours trudging through sand, rocks, and waves to get to the plovers' favored hangouts, none of which were easily accessible. Their efforts documenting the behavior of the plovers are helping this endangered species increase its numbers and make piping plovers' survival a little less precarious and more hopeful. Thanks also to our partners at Waukegan, IDNR, USFWS, Montrose, and NRG for their assistance, wisdom, and support in this effort. It takes a village!
The pair of Piping Plovers that nested at Waukegan Beach in 2018 relocated to Montrose Beach in Chicago in 2019 and were named Monty and Rose. Although they spent the winter apart in Texas (Monty) and Florida (Rose), Monty and Rose returned to Montrose Beach from 2019-2021 to nest and have successfully fledged several chicks. Sadly, Rose did not return and Monty died of a respiratory ailment at the Montrose Harbor beach in spring of 2022.
Learn more about Monty and Rose’s story