Time has “flown” by since June 9th, when the first Piping Plover chick was hatched on our provincial park’s shores.
In total, we had 9 fledged chicks, 8 nesting adults, and 6 visiting adults for a total of 23 endangered plovers at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. Currently, all of the plovers have left our 14 km beach for the season.
Where have the 13 birds gone? Well, they have flown to warm areas like the southern United States and Central America. These small Piping Plovers, like many other birds, do not have suitable feathers to keep them warm enough during the winter, so they fly great distances to keep their core body temperature at a stable 40oC throughout the year.
Our volunteers help us keep a diligent eye on these protected birds and we look forward to how many more birds will call Wasaga Beach Provincial Park next year! If monitoring an endangered shore bird is something you think will tickle your fancy, please call 705-351-0109, or email speciesatrisk@wasagabeachpark.com