Field Notes

The Piping Plovers have started to return to Whitefish Point – and we’re seeing some familiar faces! Four males from last year are back at the Point and have begun to stake out their territory. One male, known last year as “Really Tricky” (X,R:Of,LY), has been spotted scraping and mating with a returning female, [...]

Since my last blog post, seven Piping Plover chicks have officially fledged! This means that they survived their first 23 days and can now fly. This is excellent news and one of the better years for the number of chicks fledged.  Unfortunately, four of the 11 chicks that hatched either went missing or were [...]

A section of the shoreline will be closed through Aug. 5. People can still access the tip of the Point from the bayside shoreline. Before I talk about the recent Piping Plover activity, I want to give a quick update on the beach closures at Whitefish Point. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife [...]

Piping Plover Chick Over the weekend, we were fortunate to have two nests of Piping Plovers hatch at the Point! Nest 2 hatched first, and all four eggs hatched. Nest 1 hatched a couple of days later, and both eggs hatched as well. As of today, July 5, all six chicks are [...]

Really Tricky. Photo by Alec Olivier Greetings Piping Plover lovers! This summer's Piping Plover field season has started very successfully! As it stands, we are currently at four active Piping Plover nests! This ties the record of four, which was set in 2013. This year, almost all of the nesting adults were also [...]

It's 7 or 8 p.m., and I'm listening to the sound of my hiking boots crunch against the rocks and sand with every step. The sky is showing its characteristic amber glow, a trait which the slowly churning lake water reflects eagerly, creating the illusion of a softly glowing Lake Superior. Though this short walk [...]

Unfortunately, this will be my last "quick-update style" blog of the season. This is because, as much as it pains me to admit it, my next blog will be my last one. At the beginning of next month, I will start my long journey back to the West Coast. For this reason, next week's [...]