Who have we here?  Someone pretty special, that’s for sure.

Piping Plover chick at one week old

We have great news here in Brighton.  Piping Plovers, an endangered species of shorebird, are raising a family on the beach at Presqu’ile Provincial Park for the first time in 100 years.

Two day old chick and parent

Protection Plans in the US and Canada have been working to increase the population of Piping Plovers since 1986.   Action steps include protecting sandy habitats that Plovers need to nest, and public education programs.  Biologists have also installed enclosures over Piping Plover nests to protect them from predators.  This consists of a cage that has spaces large enough for the plovers to move freely in and out, but small enough to keep out predators like gulls and raccoons. Without the predator enclosures, about 37% of the eggs laid will hatch, but with the enclosures the success rate is 72%, almost a 100% increase.

Look out world, I’m here!

Here at Presqu’ile, a contingent of over 60 volunteers is keeping an eye on the plover family, taking shifts from early morning until sundown.  The idea is to observe the plovers and record their activity, as well as educate the public on this busy beach about the Piping Plovers, and really, just make sure these little ones don’t get stepped on.

Volunteer Coordinator Elizabeth putting out a driftwood shelter she made for the plovers

Funding has also allowed for the hiring of a Volunteer Coordinator, to oversee the scheduling of volunteers and helping in a major way with the public education aspect of the Piping Plover monitoring.

Trying out those wings! It will take four weeks for the chicks to learn to fly.

So of course I signed up to volunteer to monitor the little Piping Plover family.   I look forward to my shifts so much!   And all the other volunteers I have met out there feel exactly the same way.   We are privileged to be able to spend time with these rare and beautiful birds.

Shift change

It has been fascinating watching the family and their behaviour.  Here are Mom and Dad.  Mom is on the right, with a plain band on her left leg.   Dad is on the left, and has a yellow/orange/yellow striped band on the bottom of his left leg.    Both parents are one year old birds, born on Wasaga Beach on Georgian Bay last summer.

Dad and two chicks. Third is underneath…

Mom and Dad switch off chick rearing duties.   Even though the chicks start to eat on their own right from when they start walking around, the parents still keep an eye out for them.  They like to keep the chicks fairly close to them, and call out with gentle peeps when the chicks go too far.

Hurry hurry

This doesn’t always work.  The chicks are little speed demons, tearing all over the place like cotton balls on toothpicks.  Especially when they first hatched it was really hard for us humans to keep track of them, even armed with binoculars and a spotting scope.

Dad brooding chicks

One of the neatest behaviours I have observed while spending time with the Piping Plovers is how the parents brood the chicks.  Here’s a little sequence to show you how it all progresses.

Let me in

Dad is already brooding one chick (hence the multi-legged look) when number two comes along.

Move over

Number two just shoves itself in underneath, head first.  As the chicks get bigger, this becomes more and more comical.

me too

So now as number 3 arrives, it checks out the possibilities.

This is pretty good

For now it decides to snuggle up to its multi-legged dad and wait for a spot. This all happens quite quickly.  Once one chick dives underneath, the others are right behind.

Full.

Here’s dad brooding all 3 chicks in another spot on the beach.   Look at all those legs!  I hope he is enjoying himself because apparently mom will be migrating back to down to Florida soon after the chicks turn a week old!  Then dad will be on his own with them until they learn to fly, in about 3 more weeks.

Woo hoo!

Just as quickly as the chicks shove their way under, they pop right back out again!  Great stretching and wing flapping ensues.

Off I go again

Then more running around on the beach 3 different directions eating, eating, then running some more.

I took 600 shots in one evening. Maybe you can see why…

How cute is that?  Really?   I had the hardest time writing this blog because I couldn’t  choose the  photos.   Blogs can’t have 600 photos in them.  But I whittled it down.  Eventually.

Preparing for nighttime

As the sun was setting yesterday evening and my volunteer shift with the Piping Plovers was coming to a close, I watched as the little chicks gathered around the mother.

Safe for the night

All tucked in, right in the middle of a huge beach, you would hardly know they were there.  After watching them so closely it was hard to turn and walk away.

I’ve got the early shift tomorrow morning.   Can’t wait!

The post Protecting Piping Plovers appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Spectacular shorebirds!   You bet.   To know them is to love them.  These little birds are superstars.

Sandpipers

Take a look at the gorgeous feather patterns and impressive bills on these shorebirds.

Hudsonian Godwit Portrait

Sanderling on Lake Ontario Shore

American Golden Plover

Every spring and fall, shorebirds make their epic migratory journey to their arctic breeding grounds, then back to their wintering grounds in South America.   Along the way they make some important stops to rest and refuel.

“Man, I’m tired…”

Lucky for me, one of their important stopover points is Presqu’ile Provincial Park, just minutes from my house.

Early morning at the shore

Once everyone wakes up, things can get really busy at the lakeshore, as these little birds eat, bathe, preen, and joust for territory.

On Guard!

“Bring it on!”

Shorebirds can often be found in mixed species groups.   The different shapes and lengths of their bills allow them to feed at various depths of water at the shoreline.

“I like your bill too.”    Whimbrel and Hudsonian Godwit

“Where to next?”

Sandpipers and a Short-billed Dowitcher (Which has a very long bill…)

The incredible thing about these mixed groups of birds is how they can all fly as one flock.   Watching them twist and turn through the air as one unit is a true wonder of nature.

Flight

As these little birds are often preyed upon by raptors, it is important that they be able to stick together and move quickly.   I have seen Northern Harriers, Merlins, and a Peregrine Falcon trying to catch one for a meal, usually by trying to separate one bird from the flock.

Coming in for a landing

Settling In

Once they perceive that danger is past, they will fly back into shore and begin to feed again.

The Rare Hudsonian Godwit

It’s really worth taking a visit to the shore, and seeing who is around.    Fall shorebird migration takes place between now and late November, or whenever the algae beds freeze up.

To check out which birds have been visiting Presqu’ile Park this week, see Fred Helleiner’s Presqu’ile Bird Report, published faithfully every Thursday.

The post Spectacular Shorebirds appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Presqu’ile Provincial Park is located south of Brighton, Ontario, Canada.   Birding there is spectacular, because Presqu’ile lies in a major migratory bird route, and has a variety of habitats such as forest, marsh, fields, beaches, and islands.

There are wonderful things to see in the park no matter what time of year, but here’s what Presqu’ile has to offer in August.

Mute Swan Family

Many birds breed in Presqu’ile Park, and it’s not unusual to find a variety of birds raising their families in the summertime.

A walk on  the marsh boardwalk will allow you to see a number of birds and their babies, such as this Mute Swan family.

The Ugly Duckling was really a Beautiful Swan

Eastern Kingbird families can be found all over the park in August, with the young birds chasing their parents screeching for food.  Kingbirds are fascinating to watch as they perch on an exposed branch, then swoop out for insects.  I caught this young Kingbird sitting still for a second!

Juvenile Eastern Kingbird

Cedar Waxwing Eating Berries

If you like Cedar Waxwings, Presqu’ile is the place to be.   Flocks of them are everywhere!   They easily can be found eating berries from bushes.   Yesterday I also found a flock with a large group of young birds, begging for food.   They can eat by themselves, but that does not stop them from begging.

Juvenile Cedar Waxwing Waiting for Berries

Two berries may not be enough!

Presqu’ile may be most famous for its shorebird migrations.  Migratory shorebirds are true wonders of the natural world. Each year, they undertake grueling migrations from their wintering grounds in South America to their breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic, and back again. 

Shorebirds in Flight

Along the way, they stop at various staging points to rest and refuel.  Presqu’ile is one of these important staging areas.  At any given time in late summer into autumn, you can see dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of shorebirds feeding along the beaches.

Last week, a couple of days of windy weather washed up huge piles of algae onto the beaches at Presqu’ile.   Not so great for swimming, but great for the shorebirds. This mat of decaying algae is full of fly (Diptera) larvae which shorebirds find irresistible.  Eat up!

Windy day at the beach

Juvenile Spotted Sandpiper on Mountains of Algae

Resting and Preening

I am still learning how to identify shorebirds.   Many of them are very small, and have very subtle differences in markings.   For example, there is a Greater Yellowlegs and a Lesser Yellowlegs.  Virtually identical, except the Lesser Yellowlegs is smaller.   So…if I am only seeing one bird, then what?

Ask someone.

Lesser Yellowlegs it is…

Looking for Larvae

The best place to look for shorebirds is at Owen Point.   A trail of less than 1 km will take you to a viewing area where you can get up close and personal with the birds.   They are so busy feeding they don’t pay much attention to humans.  Of course the normal rules for success apply- be still, and be quiet.

Sandpipers are also known as “Peeps” It’s the noise they make.

Juvenile Semipalmated Plover

Sandpiper Having a Beach Buffet

So, Presqu’ile in August is a place to go to really appreciate nature’s marvels, from the busy activity of birds raising their families, to the appearance of travelling shorebirds. The shorebird migration will continue on at least into November, with various species making their appearances.

I, for one, plan on going back.

Watching Shorebirds at Owen Point (Photo by Allie)

For weekly reports on what birds have been seen at the park, see Fred Helleiner’s Presqu’ile Birding Report, published each Thursday evening.

One great source of shorebird information: Ontario Field Ornithologists article on Southbound Shorebirds 

The post Baby Birds and Shorebirds: Presqu’ile in August appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.