A little bird is stirring up big excitement on the North Shore of Lake Superior.
For the second time in two years, a piping plover has made an appearance by Duluth’s Park Point Beach House. Wildlife enthusiasts, environmental organizations, and government agencies are hoping to see the endangered bird start nesting on Minnesota’s side of Lake Superior for the first time since the 1980s.
Volunteer plover watchers confirmed the bird’s presence on Saturday May 21 and officials for the St. Louis River Alliance are now keeping track of it and asking people to stay away from it. They are particularly concerned that the bird may be spooked into leaving the beach by people and pets. The plover has already had one scare off the beach by an unleashed dog.
The St. Louis River Alliance is a partner with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and is working to attract and keep plovers in the Twin Ports. They told the Duluth News Tribune that the bird at Park Point is “a female from North Manitou Island in Lake Michigan,” and said that “the sighting of a female is extra special for the Great Lakes population” in a statement announcing the sighting.
The Alliance is hoping to see the plover find a male mate to nest with along the shore of Superior – something that hasn’t happened since the 1980s. The nearest breeding pairs are found in the Apostle Islands. Last year a male and female pair were spotted in the area, but left and were not seen again after May 21.
The Alliance has been working to restore piping plover habitat in the Twin Ports so that if a male and female make it to the North Shore at the same time, they might decide to stay and nest. Their efforts include cutting trees, clearing debris and driftwood off the beach, and erecting fencing to keep predators, dogs, and people away from any nests.