June 15, 2021 – A nesting pair of piping plovers on a small inland lake beach off the southwestern shore of Lake Erie has birders flocking to the area and lighting up social media. It’s been at least 80 years since a nest has been documented in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The piping plover is a federally and state endangered species.

The small inland lake where the nest was spotted in May is at Maumee Bay State Park in Lucas County, a state of Ohio recreation spot that serves as the hub for The Biggest Week in American Birding. The Biggest Week is an annual spring birding festival, held in May, that draws up to 100,000 birders to watch warblers, beautiful little songbirds, and other migratory birds.

It’s a unique area with federal, state and local wildlife parks next to each other. The federal Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is nearby and a new local park recently opened west of the refuge. The state of Ohio maintains the Magee Marsh boardwalk. Located to the east of the refuge. Magee Marsh offers birders one mile of boardwalk that winds through the marsh, giving birders a “birds-eye” view of birds during spring migration. Avid birders from around the world know the area well.

Spotting the nesting piping plovers has been a boost to spirits this year because the birding festival had to be virtual this year due to the pandemic and last year it was canceled. The boardwalk was open this year but required reservations to access.

Spring migration is over by the end of May as birds find their summer nesting spots farther north into Michigan and Canada. The southwestern shores of Lake Erie provide rest stops for birds flying north from their winter homes in the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and even South America.

Piping Plover
According to the Ohio DNR, the piping plover is native to Ohio. It is a small, stocky shorebird with sand-colored feathers and orange legs. The Great Lakes population of this species was listed as federally endangered in 1986. This listing means the species is in danger of going extinct without further protection.

Piping plovers use open, sandy beaches for nesting. Much of this habitat has been lost to development. Plovers are particularly sensitive to human presence. Too much disturbance causes the parents to abandon the nest.

The Great Lakes population of piping plovers is at a perilously low level. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife resources, no more than 32 nests have been recorded in a single year. Most pairs nested in Michigan. The federal Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Park Service) in northern Michigan has an active piping plover conservation effort to support the species.

The female piping plover lays four eggs. All eyes will be on the nest at Maumee Bay State Park with the eggs expected to hatch sometime in July. The area where the nest was found is now surrounded by a fence. Volunteers are at the spot keeping the birds safe from any human disturbance.

Stay tuned!

UPDATE: (July 1, 2021): All four eggs hatched successfully! There are four Piping Plover chicks running around the sand.