Imani, the male Piping Plover and son of Rose and Monty, returned to Montrose Beach on April 25. This is expected as young Piping Plovers usually return to the area where they were born. Imani also came back to Montrose in 2022 and spent most of the summer in the Dunes. On April 27, two unbanded Piping Plovers joined Imani. It’s too soon to tell what these other Piping Plovers are up to. They could be passing through on their way further north, or they could try to nest at Montrose. Only time will tell. To protect the Plovers, the Dunes is now off limits to the public. This includes the portion of the beach between the fishing pier and protective fence on the west. Please follow the rules and stay out of these areas. You can view the Dunes and beach from the fishing pier on the east and the public beach on the west.
Tag Archives: Piping Plover
Piping Plover, July 27, 2022
Piping Plover (click to see the larger version)
A juvenile Piping Plover was at Montrose Beach on July 26 and 27. Montrose Beach is best known as the home of Monty and Rose, but it also hosts migrant Piping Plovers that are going to or coming from other parts of the Great Lakes and possibly the Great Plains. This Piping Plover was not banded, so where it came from is unknowable.
Imani Update, June 27, 2022
Imani (click to see the larger version)
Imani, the young male Piping Plover and son of Rose and Monty, was still at Montrose in late June. His behavior has changed dramatically however. In late May and early June we would often hear him calling before we saw him and his slow motion flight display over the Dunes was an aerodynamic sight to behold. He was feeling his oats and ready to start a family and carry on Monty and Rose’s lineage. By late June the displaying and aggressive behavior towards other birds had stopped. He became harder to find and even disappeared for a few days. A female Piping Plover never showed up, which is probably the reason for Imani’s more subdued behavior. How long he will stay at Montrose is uncertain. Without a mate and the potential for a family he doesn’t have much incentive to hang around. The good news is that Imani is young, only about a year old, and there’s always next year.
Imani the Beachmaster
Imani confronting a Killdeer (click to see the larger version)
Imani the Piping Plover confronted a Killdeer on the morning of June 7, 2022. Standing erect with chest puffed out he showed the larger Killdeer who the boss of the beach is. Imani is being hyper territorial, performing display flights over the Dunes, calling frequently, and chasing other birds who dare to enter his space. This aggressive behavior is an encouraging sign. It shows he has staked out the Dunes and is ready and able to defend it. The only missing element now is a female Piping Plover. If she shows up she’ll have a worthy partner in Imani.
Monty would be proud of his son.
June 3, 2022
Olive-sided Flycatcher (click to see the larger version)
A sample of birds from Montrose on June 3. This is why you should keep birding in June
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Snowy Plover
Piping Plover
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Franklin’s Gull
Great Egret
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
Orchard Oriole
Dickcissel
Lots of photos are on my eBird checklist for the day, URL below.
eBird Checklist
June 3, 2022
Return of Imani, May 26, 2022
Imani, the male Piping Plover and son of Rose and Monty (click to see the larger version)
Talk about fortuitous, and funny. Imani, the male Piping Plover and son of Monty and Rose, was feeding on the long fishing pier on May 26. This is common behavior for shorebirds at Montrose (Monty and Rose would do the same thing there). These shorebirds like to feed on the hordes of midges that gather on the pier. Easy pickings. When I saw Imani on the pier I walked out to look at and photograph him. I took lots of pics and the best one happened by accident when he walked across and stopped briefly on one of the “no diving” glyphs painted on the pier.
Rose and Monty are gone but if a female Piping Plover finds her way to Montrose, the cycle could start anew.