pAfter three decades away, piping plovers made their return to Lake Ontario this past summer./ppNow, researchers hope the shore birds’ progress in the region can continue./ppJames F. Faquhar, regional wildlife manager for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said the key was the health of the Great Lakes and of beach areas where they reside./pp“Conditions are likely better now than they have been before,” he said. “When you can provide an inviting environment, species will find it and they’ll come.”/ppThree adult plovers were spotted over the summer on New York’s Ontario shore, including a breeding pair in Jefferson County that hatched two chicks. One chick survived to migrate south in August./pp“It bodes well that the birds came here,” Mr. Faquhar said. “They’re viewing this area now as a good place to nest again.”/ppThe discovery of the shore bird was a collaboration between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state agencies and regional conservation groups./pp“It’s a reflection of how well the birds are doing, and the recovery efforts of the Great Lakes,” said Jillian M. Liner, director of bird conservation for Audubon New York./pp“All the efforts and money being spent are having an impact,” Mrs. Liner said./ppThe bird, similar to a sandpiper, can get up to 5 inches long and about 2.25 ounces, according to the DEC./ppNesting on beaches to take advantage of their sandy coloring, the birds travel either individually or in small groups./ppThe species, affected by predation and human disturbances, was put on the endangered list as the Great Lakes population dropped to 16 pairs, limited to Michigan./ppThe region now has about 75 pairs./ppFor this coming summer in the Lake Ontario area, the first challenges will be locating the piping plovers if they arrive in the area./pp“Our challenge this year is they can be a bit nomadic,” Mr. Faquhar said. “There’s no guarantee they’ll return to the same stretch.”/ppAlso important will be working with communities on how to best protect the birds./pp“We have flexibility on how we use the beach, but the birds don’t. That’s where the birds live, eat, and raise a family,” Mrs. Liner said. “That would be my hope — the community embrace and are proud of it.”/ppThe Associated Press contributed to this report./p
↧