On Wednesday, 17 June, a fourth Piping Plover egg hatched from the south
nest. All of the young left the nest within several hours of hatching
and were able to feed within hours. The north nest is expected to hatch
within the next few days. Two of the birds that fledged from Sauble
Beach in 2007 are spending this season in Michigan.
The first young plover is growing rapidly and is now very mobile,
venturing greater distances every day. The young chicks spend their day
feeding, resting and brooding. It is a moving experience to see a tiny
head pop out from under an adult plover. Each parent takes a turn on
watch duty for approximately 20 minutes. The adults' role is to protect
the young from the elements by brooding them, and also to alert them to
any danger. During this time, the other adult feeds but remains in
close proximity. A major defensive strategy of the chicks is their
ability to blend in with the sand. Several beach signs are also placed
in such a way that they provide a corridor of protection for the plovers
as they venture further afield to feed as a family.
Young plovers can make short flights at about 20 to 25 days of age, and
they are capable of sustained flight at about 30 days of age. The male
parent appears to take the majority of the responsibility for chick
care. The female sometimes abandons the brood, leaving the male to care
for the young until the family disperses.
Further information and photos can be found at the Sauble Plover website:
http://www.saubleplovers.com
It's easy for anyone to participate in this Piping Plover recovery
effort, and your help will go a long way to fostering a successful
recovery for this species at risk. We gratefully thank all those who
are currently helping with this project. If you could spare some time
to help with monitoring the Sauble Beach Piping Plovers, please contact
Sue Seibert at [email protected], or Stewart Nutt at 519-372-8588.
Guardian shifts are from 6:00 - 9:00 am, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, 1:00 - 5:00
pm, and 5:00 - 9:00 pm. We also have later monitoring shifts into the
night and over the weekends.
Thank you ~ good birding!
Kim Toews
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ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected]
For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
