Piping Plover! - 15 Aug 2019


Today's trip here in the Leelenau Peninsula took me to the Maritime Museum at Sleeping Bear Point of Sleeping Bear National Park. I was hoping to find a Piping Plover to photograph, but didn't hold out much hope as it late in the season and most of the birds have moved south for the winter.

But, I parked at the museum and walked the parking lot when I spotted some odd yellow birds with flashing white outer tail feathers. Though not certain I believed them to be young Pine Warblers. I chased them to a large tree that held a half dozen Chipping Sparrows (mostly begging fledglings), Eastern Bluebirds (mostly begging fledglings), and a Hairy Woodpecker.





From there I spotted an Eastern Ground Squirrel that would only stick its head out of its hiding place under one of the trash receptacles.


I then headed to the Lake Michigan shoreline where I walked toward the dunes to the south. I was heading for a small peninsula at Sleeping Bear Point that I hoped might give me a bird or two to photograph.










I lucked out when I spotted 6 juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs foraging in the small inland lagoon. One bird remained long enough for me to spend some time digiscoping it from 20-50 feet away.





As I digiscoped a second bird I spotted a tiny white bird just a few feet ahead of me in the gravel: Piping Plover! It appeared to be a young bird, and was very cooperative. A thousand pics cooperative!














At least enough to completely identify the bling on its feet:

UL - Orange w/ yellow spot
LL - Pale blue w/ orange band (b/O/b)
UR - silver metallic band with numbers 831 over 83470
LR - Aqua w/ number 354

Can you spot the bird in the following pic?


As I followed it casually along the lagoon I saw someone from the FWS heading in my direction with a scope. I introduced myself to Brianne, who is part of the Piping Plover Watch, and she informed me that the bird I saw was the last of 3 that she was trying relocate this morning. All three are late-year hatchlings that are still lingering from their nest site here on the point, and are just days from disappearing themselves. All of the adult birds took off in the last week or so. FWS had just removed all of the barriers and fencings yesterday.

As we talked the plover chick reappeared nearby and offered more close-up images. We both kept an eye out for a Merlin that was frequenting the area; I saw it flying along the shoreline earlier this morning. Bald Eagles were also nearby but appeared to be less of a threat. A Least Sandpiper would be the last bird I'd see before heading back to the car for lunch and some afternoon work.

References:

Piping Plover banding codes: https://www.greatlakespipingplover.org/great-lakes-pipl-color-bands
or https://www.waterbirds.umn.edu/piping-plovers/reporting

Sleeping Bear Point, Leelanau, Michigan, US
Aug 15, 2019 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Coast Guard Lighthouse and south to point
19 species

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  1
Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)  1     Found at point next to small lagoon. One of last fledgelings that have yet to leave (per spotter Brianne). Banded. Digiscoped images taken.
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)  1
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  6     All juvenile
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  2
Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus)  1
Merlin (Falco columbarius)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  6
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  1
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  1
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)  4
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  6
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  6
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)  2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S59009572

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)