I once spent a week with piping plovers.
Piping Plover on the edge of Lake Michigan |
At the lowest point in the 1980s, the
population of this diminutive bird had dwindled to just 13 nesting pairs.
Scoping to identify individual plovers |
Keeping track of the birds was a meticulous and difficult task. Each bird has a unique set of colorful bands on its legs and that code had to be deciphered in order to know the identity of each individual bird.
Piping Plover nest
Putting a protective cage around nests is the best way to keep predators from stealing the eggs.
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Protective netting around a nest |
2017 was a milestone year for these little birds as a record 76 breeding pairs were recorded this summer.
And, it was the first year that this bird nested on all five Great Lakes since 1955. The Fish and Wildlife Service called this "a remarkable development for the recovery program."
Tiny plover tracks |
Learn more about this record year HERE.