By JulieAnn Prentice, Ontario Piping Plover Field Technician
Each spring and summer, the Birds Canada team, partners and volunteers, enjoy visits from Piping Plovers originating from all across the Great Lakes. Young plovers often wander throughout the region, visiting new beaches to scope out potential future breeding habitat. This year, over 30 individual Piping Plovers visited Ontario, but only 8 individuals nested in the province. So, who are the other hopeful guests who stopped in throughout the season? Here are a few of their stories!
“Ob”- Band Combination X,O/B:Of,Ob
“Ob” during his stay in Ontario in May 2024. Photo: Tom St-Jean.
This little plover hatched in 2023 under unique circumstances. When a nest was abandoned on High Island in Michigan, the eggs were recovered and brought in for captive rearing at the University of Michigan Biological Station. Once he could fly, he was transported all the way to the eastern shoreline of Lake Ontario in New York State and released alongside 7 other Piping Plover fledglings! After migrating south, “Ob” was observed at Edwin B. Forsythe Nature Preserve, New Jersey later that August. In October 2023, “Ob” was spotted once again in Core Sound, North Carolina, enjoying the ample shoreline snacks. This may be where he decided to spend his winter!
In May 2024, when I arrived at Darlington Provincial Park for a monitoring shift, I was pleasantly surprised to see a new Piping Plover had arrived on the beach overnight; it was “Ob”! He was consistently seen conducting flight displays, which attracted a new female (later named “Pebble”) to the beach the very next day. Although “Ob” tried his best to court Pebble for several days, she was never fully persuaded and ended up choosing a different male to nest with. Despite this, “Ob” will certainly stick in my mind as the most persistent, loud, and bold male Piping Plover that I have ever monitored. I’m confident that with his courtship skills, he will have no issues finding a mate in 2025 – hopefully right here in Ontario!
“Poppi Seed”- Band Combination O,L/O/L:X,L
“Poppi Seed” on Petrie Island, Ottawa, Ontario. Photo: Al Caughey.
“Poppi Seed” hatched and gained their name in 2023 on the eastern shoreline of Lake Ontario in New York State. “Poppi” caused quite a stir of excitement this spring when they showed up in Ottawa, Ontario; the first documented record of a Piping Plover in the Ottawa Region since 2004! “Poppi Seed” hung around Petrie Island for several days before moving on and returning to New York State. “Poppi” then hung out in New York defending a beach with dad, “Hawkeye”, until around the end of June.
About two weeks after last being spotted in New York, “Poppi Seed” was spotted at Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida in mid July! Although they did not nest this season, “Poppi” certainly displayed great flight proficiency and confidence, breaking a 20 year streak of no Piping Plover sightings in Ottawa. We hope to see you back, “Poppi”!
Band Combination O,-:X,L (Blue dot, L354)
O,-:X,L (Bdot, L354) visiting Point Franks, Ontario for a short day trip on August 8th, 2023. Photo: Sasha Smith.
This chick hatched in 2024 from Tawas Point State Park in Michigan. After leaving Tawas Point, this chick visited Point Franks, Ontario, on August 8th – all the way on the other side of Lake Huron! This would be a roughly 170 km trip, assuming that the plover traveled in a straight line. It’s always impressive when a new fledgling makes their first big flight, especially when they go this distance! O,-:X,L wound up returning to Tawas Point, hanging out there until August 18th when the chick seemed to disappear – only to be refound two days later on August 20th.
What makes this so exciting? The sighting on August 20th was in Folly Beach, South Carolina! This means that this tiny bird made a roughly 1,340 km trip in two days! We sure hope this strong flier likes what they saw in Ontario and decides to return in 2025!
Piping Plover Conservation
Birds Canada has been working with endangered Great Lakes Piping Plovers since 2018, collaborating with partners to manage volunteer programs, protect nests and breeding beaches, educate the public, and document the breeding success and overall population of Piping Plovers in Ontario. Without banding and monitoring efforts, sighting records and documentation of migration to this extent would not be possible! Thank you to all of the individuals who have submitted their Piping Plover sightings to both the Birds Canada team and the Great Lakes Piping Plover Conservation Team!
If you spot a Piping Plover in Ontario, please report your sightings to ontarioplovers@birdscanada.org. If you spot a Piping Plover on wintering grounds or during migration, please send your sighting to plover@umn.edu. When possible, please be sure to share details about date/time of sighting and any photos you may have taken.