Time to scan the beaches...

Too cool again for moths...so back to birds.

Late April and early May is a good time to walk the beaches in southern Ontario to look for Piping Plovers. This rare and decreasing species is a regular passage migrant in very small numbers throughout the Great Lakes region. They used to breed on some deserted beaches, such as at Long Point, but no longed do so. Many recent sightings in southern Ontario have invloved banded birds so if you are fortunate enough to find one check out the legs carefully and note any band combinations.




These videograbs are of a male Piping Plover at Hanlan's Point on Toronto Island in early May last year. The bird was present for about three days but could be elusive and not many folks got to see it. A great bird to see in the core metro area. This bird sported a metal band on it's right leg but no colour bands. Unfortunately I do not have any infomation as to where the bird was banded.

Piping Plovers are pretty easy to identify. Compared to a Semipalmated Plover, the most likely confusion species, they are much paler overall, a bit tubbier and have much less black on the head. The even rarer Snowy Plover is also very pale-looking but is smaller with a thinner all-black bill, a broken grayish-brown or black breast band and grayish legs.

Good luck finding one!