BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Efforts continue to help protect an endangered bird, while also balancing recreational opportunities for people in the area.
The Piping Plover is a tiny shorebird that has found new nesting grounds on Long Tail Point in the waters of Green Bay, just north of the city.
During a pre-Fourth of July paddle around Long Tail Point, bird monitor Jack Swelstad of Green Bay spotted something at the end of the island.
“I found two Piping Plovers that acted like they were a mated pair. I looked around real quick, and I didn’t see any eggs or anything. It turns out, three or four days later, someone else went out there, and found a nest with four eggs in it. It was pretty exciting.”
Scientists say it’s the second year the endangered Piping Plovers are nesting at Long Tail.
“Everything was going well for a couple of weeks, and then around the Fourth of July, unfortunately, the male disappeared,” said Tom Prestby, Audubon Great Lakes Wisconsin conservation manager.
Prestby says the site is not far from grounds found at the Cat Island Chain a couple miles to the south. Jade Arneson is a fish and wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
“As numbers within the population are expanding, that there’s less habitat availability at Cat Island. So birds are starting to radiate out from Cat Island, and find other suitable habitat at sites like Long Tail Point,” said Arneson.
Long Tail Point is a popular place for people to recreate during the summer season. DNR District Ecologist Josh Martinez says signs are posted during nesting season, which wrapped up in July.
“We want to make sure that these birds are given their space, and they don’t feel as if they are going to be hindered upon, by the presence of people walking, or their pets,” said Martinez.
“We’re going to be working with people out there to convey the message to share the shore with Piping Plovers and other wildlife out there,” said Prestby.
Scientists collected the four eggs, raised them in captivity, and recently released the four healthy Piping Plover chicks into the wild.
“Every bird counts. When you have that few birds, every one is important. Every egg is important. Every pair is important,” said Swelstad.
Scientists say there are nesting 81 pairs of Piping Plovers around the Great Lakes, including four nests in the Green Bay area, which produced 10 fledglings this year.
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