Nature
Notes for June 24, 2016
Creating
much excitement in the birding world, the Piping Plovers reported on in May did
build a nest and lay eggs on the beach at Presqu’ile Provincial Park. This is
the first confirmed nest of Piping Plovers at Presqu’ile in 100 years.
Piping
Plovers used to nest throughout the Great Lakes basin. This population was almost
extirpated by the mid-1980s. Due to conservation efforts in Michigan, the
species did not disappear completely. It is from the Michigan population that pioneers
have begun to repopulate Ontario’s beaches.
Prior to 2007, when a pair returned
to nest at Sauble Beach, Piping Plovers last nested in Ontario on the Great
Lakes in 1977. Historically, they nested at 24 locations on all Great Lakes in
Ontario with perhaps 70 to 90 pairs. Each year since 2007, small numbers of
Piping Plovers have returned to nest in the Ontario Great Lakes.
There
are five nests at Wasaga Beach this year, one of the first locations in Ontario
to which the birds returned. Two pairs of Piping Plovers are nesting at
Darlington Provincial Park. These nests have already hatched.
As
I write, there are 4 eggs in the nest at Presqu’ile. They should be hatching between
June 27 and 29. Piping Plover chicks are “precocial”. That means that they are
downy when hatched and can run around as soon after hatching as they dry off.
(Think baby chicks, although much smaller.)
It will be about 30 days before they are able to fly.
The
world is a very dangerous place for small birds, but especially so for Piping
Plovers. They have very specific habitat needs for nesting: dry, sandy beaches,
with a little cover so the chicks can hide from danger.
The
need for sand beaches puts them in direct conflict with humans, who like to
play on beaches. Only a strict protocol for protecting this highly endangered
species has enabled them to nest in Ontario at all in recent years.
Building the "exclosure" for the Piping Plover nest at Presqu'ile.
Photo © David Bree
Predators
are a great danger. These include foxes, coyotes, raccoons and other mammals
that might eat the eggs or chicks. Danger also comes from the sky in the form
of gulls. At Presqu’ile, there is a large gull nesting colony on the off-shore
islands. Visitors are encouraged not to feed the gulls that might come to the
sand beach, as this might entice the gulls to visit the beach more often, so
the risk of having a plover chick eaten is increased.
To
protect the birds from these latter two threats, Canadian Wildlife Service
biologists have erected a large “exclosure” around the nest area. The mesh is
of a large enough size that the plovers can come and go, but too small to allow
avian predators access. The one at Presqu’ile was erected in about 20 minutes
and the plover parents immediately returned to the nest.
To
protect the birds from humans, Presqu’ile Provincial Park is recruiting volunteers
Guardians who will take shifts on the beach. The Guardians will keep a watch on
the birds and educate park visitors about the birds and the reason for the
“cage”. If any readers would like to volunteer as a Guardian, you can contact
David Bree, Sr. Natural Heritage Education Leader at Presqu’ile Provincial Park at David.bree@ontario.ca
Another
danger is weather. In 2015, a Piping Plover nest was initiated on the Hanlan’s
Point Beach at the Toronto Islands. A bad storm flooded the nest and it was
lost. One year, a chick at Wasaga Beach was killed by hail. This has led to the
recommendation for little shelters to protect the chicks in case of inclement
weather. There was some concern for the Presqu’ile nest in the storm that blew
through last Sunday evening. However, David Bree reports that all is well.
In a time when so much of the news about our native birds is one of loss
and decline, it is nice to be able to report on a species that seems to be
recovering. However, 8 nests in Ontario is a long way from 90, the historical
total, so the birds still need lots of protection. Perhaps next year, the
unmated male Piping Plover that is still around at Presqu’ile will find a mate
and this year’s pair will return.
