Another Successful Season!
By: Mary Birdsong
It was a very successful shorebird monitoring season and Erie Bird Observatory is celebrating!
The Common Tern pair that were busy feeding two hungry hatchlings got to see hard work pay off when their youngsters flew for the first time on August 17. This marks the FIRST TIME since the 1960s that this species has successfully fledged young in Pennsylvania. EBO is thrilled to be a part of this historic event!
Piping Plover chick by Mary Birdsong
The three juvenile Piping Plovers who hatched earlier this year caught a southbound breeze and were gone to the wintering grounds by mid-August. One, called Red Dot because of the color of dot on one of its bands, has already been spotted on a coastal island in Georgia! We really appreciate all those folks farther south who keep an eye out for “our” birds and report them!
Across the Great Lakes basin, a record 81 pairs nested and 141 chicks successfully fledged (124 wild and 17 captive-reared). This new record (one more nest than last year) seems like a small thing, but in conservation of an endangered species, we celebrate every milestone!
Read more about our work with the federally-endangered Piping Plover HERE
With the end of season now here, we want to send a big shout out to all of our partners: the Pennsylvania Game Commission, US Fish & Wildlife, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Western PA Conservancy, USDA APHIS, PA Natural Heritage Program, the US Army Corp of Engineers, and the Great Lakes Piping Plover Conservation Team. We could not do our job without the support of this amazing group of dedicated professionals!
Reminder: We always encourage a visit to Gull Point but please be respectful of the wildlife that lives or visits there. Besides the roped trail leading to two viewing platforms, Gull Point Natural Area (including the entire shoreline) is closed through October to support migratory and breeding birds. If you want to help us maintain the Gull Point trail, JOIN US on Saturday, October 5th to take down the ropes and posts for storage over the winter.