Shorebird diversity at the point has been on the upswing the last few days, with Black-bellied Plover and Short-billed Dowitcher seen flying past the tip on Wednesday, May 11, and Semipalmated Plover and Dunlin spotted on May 12.
While these species have already been seen in numbers downstate, it is always special to see them in the wild setting of Whitefish Point. Memorable today was a flock of three Semipalmated Plovers that were joined by one Piping Plover as they flew around the tip.
The first Piping Plover of the season was spotted by visiting Traverse City birder Pat O’Connor on May 6, and the WPBO staff has seen from one-two every day since. On the last few days I’ve been treated to occasional flight displays by a very vocal courting male, visible from the waterbird shack. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has posted part of the beach off-limits to human use while the plovers work out how many pairs will nest at the site this year and where. The entire shoreline is accessible and sometimes there is a plover foraging there. When on the drier section of the beach they are very difficult to spot. If you’re visiting while the waterbird count is going on (from dawn until about 2:00), feel free to ask me or whoever is counting if there are any plovers in view.
