Field Notes

This blog is your go-to for recent sightings at the Point, including both the usual suspects and the rare species that have been spotted, more in-depth looks at the habitats found here, educational programming being offered, and more. The unique juxtaposition of land and water at the Point funnels many birds through WPBO and over 340 species have been identified at the Point. Be sure to check this blog for regular updates!

Piping Plover Week 9 Update

Baby is a Bob! On Sunday, July 7, Baby was banded. His code is X,B/O/B:O,B (I say that he is a Bob because of the triple split Blue/Orange/Blue band). The number 270 appears on his blue band, and a green dot appears on the orange band just above. These are his chick bands, and [...]

2024-07-16T13:27:41-04:00July 15th, 2024|Field Notes, Piping Plover|Comments Off on Piping Plover Week 9 Update

Piping Plover Week 8 Update

The last chick lives! "Baby" on June 29. Photo by Stephanie Owens After last week's turbulence, I'm happy to report our plover family is alive and well. My days are now occupied with watching Vie and Little Bill Bob care for their chick. I've been calling the chick "Baby" in reference to [...]

2024-07-08T10:02:27-04:00July 6th, 2024|Field Notes, Piping Plover|Comments Off on Piping Plover Week 8 Update

Piping Plover Week 7 Update

Merlin sitting in the tree line. Photo by Stephanie Owens On Sunday, I walked onto the beach with hope and excitement. I wasn’t sure if the eggs would hatch that day, but I knew that they would come sometime soon. Almost as if a bad omen, a Merlin sat perched at the [...]

2024-07-03T09:34:51-04:00June 29th, 2024|Field Notes, Piping Plover|Comments Off on Piping Plover Week 7 Update

Piping Plover Week 6 Update

By the time you read this, four little Piping Plover chicks may be taking their first steps on the shore of Whitefish Point. With their hatch date right around the corner, June 23, I watch in anticipation and preparation. Piping Plover chicks are described as small cotton balls on two toothpicks, so naturally, I [...]

2024-06-24T12:41:47-04:00June 22nd, 2024|Field Notes, Piping Plover|Comments Off on Piping Plover Week 6 Update

Piping Plover Week 5 Update

Piping Plover activity at Whitefish Point continues without a hitch as I patiently wait for June 23. Vie on shore. Photo by Stephanie Owens Each day, I check on the nest and watch for an incubation exchange between Vie and Little Bill Bob to make sure each is present and fulfilling their [...]

2024-06-17T14:36:46-04:00June 17th, 2024|Field Notes, Piping Plover|Comments Off on Piping Plover Week 5 Update

Piping Plover Week 4 Update

Monitoring this week consisted of the usual suspects. Lover Boy spends most of his time east of the boardwalk entrance. Wybie hangs out just west of it. The popular foraging area is directly between either territory, with Little Bill Bob in the mix, causing skirmishes amongst all the males. Vie and Bob continue to [...]

2024-06-11T10:50:03-04:00June 10th, 2024|Field Notes, Piping Plover|Comments Off on Piping Plover Week 4 Update

Piping Plover Week 3 Update

Things are moving along pleasantly for our pair here at Whitefish Point. Little Bill Bob on the nest in the new mid-sized exclosure. Photo by Stephanie Owens As of Tuesday, May 28, four eggs have been laid in the nest. On Wednesday the nest received an upgrade from a mini exclosure to [...]

2024-06-06T09:47:25-04:00June 3rd, 2024|Field Notes, Piping Plover|Comments Off on Piping Plover Week 3 Update

Piping Plover Week 2 Update

Life has been moving slowly at Whitefish Point for the Piping Plovers, but that’s nothing to complain about. That was how I intended to start this update until Friday afternoon. My days would start with observing lonely males like Of,YB:X,Y/O and Lover Boy foraging about, making scrapes, and calling for a mate. In the [...]

2024-05-30T09:40:43-04:00May 25th, 2024|Field Notes, Piping Plover|Comments Off on Piping Plover Week 2 Update

Piping Plover Week 1 Update

The Great Lakes Piping Plovers are starting to return to Whitefish Point. The first three days of my surveying painted the picture of a bachelor’s paradise. X,-:O,- aka Lover Boy. Photo by Stephanie Owens Males like ((X,-:O,-) (Green dot)) have seemingly determined their territory, and spend the days scraping and parallel walking [...]

2024-05-30T09:36:50-04:00May 20th, 2024|Field Notes, Piping Plover|Comments Off on Piping Plover Week 1 Update

Piping Plover Update 7/13/23

The Piping Plover chicks at Whitefish Point are now two weeks old. All four chicks are still going strong and are looking bigger by the day! Most days, I see the chicks accompanied by Violet (X,V:Of,YY) with Really Tricky (X,R:Of,LY) settling territory boundaries with other males. The chicks have begun to explore the shoreline [...]

2023-07-13T15:57:32-04:00July 13th, 2023|Field Notes|Comments Off on Piping Plover Update 7/13/23
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