Really Tricky incubating eggs inside the predator exclosure. Photo by Joselyn Ralph
The first Piping Plover eggs have been spotted at Whitefish Point! Our only current pair, “Really Tricky” and mate X,V:Of,YY, were observed changing the location of their scrape throughout the last week. On Sunday afternoon, after noticing Really Tricky adjusting in his scrape, I was happy to find that he was incubating two eggs!
I set up a predator exclosure around the nest and watched as Really Tricky immediately returned to the nest. The pair have since been seen switching incubation duties about every two hours. Piping Plovers generally lay one clutch of four eggs each year, so we are expecting to see more eggs in the next week.
Regarding our other plovers, one male, X:O Green Dot, seems to have left the Point, likely due to the arrival of another male last week. We are still hopeful that more females will arrive at the Point, but in the meantime, we’ll be keeping a close eye on the nest.
~ Joselyn Ralph
2023 Piping Plover Monitor
Piping Plover monitoring is a collaborative effort between Michigan Audubon and Seney National Wildlife Refuge (USFWS).
Featured photo: Two Piping Plover eggs in scrape. Photo by Joselyn Ralph
