Piping Plovers at Hanlan's Point, Toronto - page 3

Unbanded female Piping Plover at Hanlan's Point, Toronto, on 16 June 2015. This was the first time the female walked by close enough to where we are monitoring for me to take a photo. Please note very sad news, the nest was inundated and destroyed by a huge storm overnight on 22-23 June. The three adults survived, stayed around for a few days after, then left the area. This was unfortunate as the eggs were about to hatch.

 

It stretched and spread a wing. It had just finished incubating for about 2.5 hours straight. 16 June 2015.

 

Today, 16 June 2015, Eleanor Beagan and I arrived at 10:35 a.m. The female was incubating but the orange-banded male wasn't close by.

 

Kara, another volunteer, arrived about 11:30 and told us the male was foraging in the driftwood down the beach half way between the snow fence and the lifeguards. It worked its way back towards the roped-off area and changed over incubation with the female at 12:50 p.m

 

At 1:27 the female was feeding amongst the driftwood near the water's edge when suddenly she called and took off southwest over the lake way out then zig-zagged back north over the white buoys and we lost sight of her in front of Ontario Place. A Red-tailed Hawk overhead may have caused her to take flight. The incubating male left the nest at 1:45 and went to the water's edge, returning at 1:53. During that time the nest was unattended. Again at 2:35, the male left the nest unattended and ran to the water's edge where he walked north. At 2:48 the male returned to nest and continued incubating. We hope the female came back after Eleanor and I left at 3:45. Hugh Currie arrived at about 2 p.m.

Good news: Wendy Hunter reported the female returned to incubate after 5 hours away. The male was happy to see her!

 

Links to more Toronto Piping Plover pages

Piping Plovers on 27 May 2015 - page 1

Piping Plovers on 7 and 10 June 2015 - page 2

 

Volunteers Needed. Please click the volunteer button on this website to help monitor the Piping Plovers.
http://torontopipingplovers.blogspot.ca/