Things are shaping up to be another successful Piping Plover breeding season at Whitefish Point. The plovers have been arriving at the Point since April 27, and our pair from last year have found each other again.

Just a refresher, that pair is Of,bL:X,B/O/B (Male, aka Little Bill Bob) and X,V:Of,YY (Female, aka Violet or Vie). Their sole surviving chick from last season has made his way north from his wintering grounds as well, and is starting a nest of his own in Green Bay, Wis.

I won’t lie, I was hoping the two would pair up again this year. It was exciting to find the two inseparable on my first day. Bob was making scrapes in the sand while Vie hung nearby. She seemed apathetic to his wooing, and other males waited in the distance for their chance. Was she weighing her options?

Bob wasn’t going to let her slip away and boldly chased off each potential suitor. After some time he and Vie flew off together, strengthening my suspicions of their bond. This left Of,YB:X,Y/O (Male, aka YB) and X,R:Of,L[Y] (Male, aka Really Tricky) in defeat. Side note: Really Tricky’s Y band is reported in brackets as it has fallen off.

X,-:O,- (Green dot) is on site as well, now dubbed “Hot Shot.” He still waits for a lovely lady to come along, performing flight displays and making scrapes for the time being.

On Friday the 9th, Bob began goosestepping which ended with copulation between him and Vie. The two have been foraging about along the beach together and will initiate their nest soon. Hopefully by the next blog a few eggs will have been laid.

– Stephanie Owens, 2025 Piping Plover Monitor

PIPL “Violet” or “Vie.” Photo by Stephanie Owens

PIPL “Little Bill Bob” making scrapes. Photo by Stephanie Owens

Piping Plover monitoring is a collaborative effort between Michigan Audubon and Seney National Wildlife Refuge (USFWS).

You can keep up with the 2025 Piping Plover action at WPBO by reading Stephanie’s blog posts and following WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and X).

Stephanie Owens: 2025 Piping Plover Monitor

Having grown up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, an appreciation of the outdoors seemed inevitable for Stephanie. Walks in the woods with her father and high school science courses helped her identify this passion. In 2024, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology from Lake Superior State University, where she completed her senior thesis on the distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Eastern Upper Peninsula waterways. Now, with three seasons of PIPL monitoring under her belt, she looks forward to another summer with the U.P. plovers and returning to WPBO after a successful ’24 season. After the end of last season, Stephanie began her work at Eva Burrell Animal Shelter as a canine caretaker, fostering hope and love for all animals there.