Endangered shorebirds lose 2 chicks at Chicago beachfront

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

CHICAGO (AP) — Two endangered shorebirds that birding enthusiasts have tracked for years along a Chicago beachfront have lost two chicks in their second nesting setback this year.

Two of the piping plovers’ four chicks recently vanished from Montrose Beach Dunes and are presumed dead, said Louise Clemency, a field supervisor for the Chicago office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The chicks were likely taken by predators that frequent the area, such as hawks or falcons, she told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Clemency said volunteers tried to monitor all four chicks as they became “more mobile and adventuresome” and began using different parts of the habitat, but that’s a difficult task.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-business-environment-and-nature-chicago-birds-047de6c857de796c4c2f119db749da21

[mopinko]

1. damn it.

there's a lot of love for those kids. monty and rose.

[Submariner]

2. Most of the Cape Cod National Seashore is closed

all summer for piping plover nesting. Raccoon, skunk and fox will come out of the dunes at night to raid a plover nest when they can.

All the 4-wheel drive beach buggy folks are pissed because most of the season off road driving is closed to protect the birds.

https://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/orv-map.htm

[stopdiggin]

4. off road vehicles are a menace

There needs to be a concerted political push to get them off of all public lands.

Wanna' go 4 wheeling (or dirt bikin') - do it on your own property!

[MustLoveBeagles]

3. That's too bad

[Ramsey Barner]

5. Years ago I worked to protect Piping Plovers at a similar site

When they hatch, the chicks hit the ground running and look like little cotton balls with legs. The ones I protected were attacked by dogs, foxes, cats, kestrels, house sparrows, and even (once, and I intervened) ghost crabs! Just a little human disturbance distracts the parents, leaving the chicks defenseless.