Piping Plover Update Week 9

Whitefish Point

Vie and her three chicks faced the challenges of last week with resilience. Though I surveyed the entire beach many times, I have been unable to find any sign of Little Bill Bob.

With the loss of her mate, Vie has had to shoulder the sole responsibility of looking over her chicks. She’s done so with stride and continues to be incredibly attentive to the brood. The family has settled into a groove and seem in tune with each other. Though a single chick may venture away briefly, the three always find their way back together.  With the absence of their father I sometimes witness a chick attempt to duck under a sibling as they would a parent, but the size difference makes this difficult. At 18 days old they have grown significantly from when they first hatched, and now struggle to all fit beneath Vie. Recently they have been stretching their wings out wide practicing to take flight, sometimes catching a second of air.

PIPL Vie takes a bath. Photo by Stephanie Owens

Vie has her hands full guiding the chicks across the beach and teaching them how to be a plover. Hot Shot and Of,BY:X,Y/O have been giving her added grief, often intruding on the family’s personal space. I’ve even seen Hot Shot lunge at the chicks. When this happens Vie shows that she’s capable of holding her ground, as she lowers into a defensive stance and charges the encroacher. Still the antagonism persists, and Vie will put him into place through parallel walks illustrating where he’s welcome while her chicks wait safely secluded by the dunes.

PIPL Vie parallel walks with single male Hot Shot. Photo by Stephanie Owens

On Monday our three chicks were rewarded for their milestone of survival by receiving bands identifying who they are. Banding Crew Lead Stephanie Schubel was very kind, choosing this brood’s combination to read X,B/O/B:O,B with corresponding colored dots on the orange band for each chick. This means our chicks are BOBs again, in memory of their father.

18 day old Piping Plover dawns new bands X,B/O/B:O,B (Blue dot). Photo by Stephanie Owens

The Captive Reared ladies Lovely and Logger have acclimated to the wild with grace. In the first days after they were released, Logger was usually seen to the western end of the beach alone while Lovely stayed by the boardwalk. Now the two fly across the beach together, learning the ways of the plover in each other’s company.

Captive Reared PIPL Logger forages along the beach. Photo by Stephanie Owens

Vermilion Point

I was needed for one more week at Vermilion. Sadly Rusty and Gladys’ other chick did not turn up, but the pair still have one to watch over.

I was also excited to find the male captive rear released at Whitefish Point last year. I spotted him at Vermilion on July 4, the first time he was sited this year!

Captive Rear Male X,-:Of(K5),O/VO (released at Whitefish Point in 2024) forages on the shore at Vermilion. Photo by Stephanie Owens

~ Stephanie Owens, 2025 Piping Plover Monitor

Featured Photo: PIPL Chick rests in the sand | Stephanie Owens