An endangered species, piping plovers like this one, photographed near the sand dunes, were aided by a monitoring and protection program near the sand dunes on US-2 this summer. The program helped several nesting pairs raise young, most of which survived and migrated to the Gulf of Mexico early this month. (Photograph courtesy of the Forest Service) Close monitoring and assistance to the rare piping plover this year near the Brevort sand dunes is credited with a high survival rate of chicks. Eight nests, with two adults each, successfully produced 14 chicks, and they all left earlier this month for the Gulf of Mexico, where they will spend the winter.

The program to protect the endangered bird, administered nationally by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and locally by the Hiawatha National Forest, stakes out nests, protects them from predators, and, in some cases, rescues abandoned eggs for incubation and release back to the wild.

Piping plovers are extremely rare and endangered. In 1986, there were only 17 known pairs, but this year, biologists have identified 65 pairs, including those counted in the St. Ignace area.

Here at the mouth of the Brevort River on US-2 in Mackinac County, two piping plover nests were protected by the local Forest Service staff and volunteers this summer. The effort helped increase the imperiled species' population. Piping plovers, a shorebird near extinction, have been nesting near popular area beaches. The local program, run by the Forest Service, included volunteers for the first time this year. Volunteer efforts to educate the public about the fragile nesting grounds were a great help, said wildlife biologist Steve Sjogren of the Hiawatha National Forest, who coordinates the program. The plovers have increased from 17 known breeding pairs in 1986 to 65 in 2008. (Photograph courtesy of the Forest Service) Almost all piping plovers are found in Michigan.

Once absent from this area, piping plovers were discovered near St. Ignace in the late 1980s, but in 1989, there were only two nesting pairs, which raised only two young birds.

Part of the problem with their comeback has been that the birds nest near popular dune sites along US-2, which decreases their chance of survival. Fortunately, they stay clear of the beach area, preferring nearby areas that provide more forage and cover, said Steve Sjogren, a biologist with the Hiawatha and coordinator of the piping plover program in this area.

Cool weather that reduced the number of swimmers at the dunes this year also contributed to the survival of this year's chicks. But the real credit, he said, goes to the volunteers and the network of supporting agencies that dedicate themselves to protecting the nests.

"The volunteers were very, very helpful," he said, "and there are opportunities for more volunteers next season."

The local project, and similar efforts throughout Michigan, he said, seem to be working.

Six of the eight nests here survived and produced young, one was abandoned, and one was destroyed by a predator.

In the case of the abandoned nest, near the Brevort River, one of the adults disappeared June 11, probably killed by a predator, Mr. Sjogren said, and the mate abandoned the nest the next day. The group was able to move in and save the four eggs, and sent them to the University of Michigan Biology Station at Pellston, where they were incubated and hatched. Three of the embryos survived.

Plover nesting requires two adults, which take turns incubating the eggs, so when one adult is killed, Mr. Sjogren said, the mate will abandon the nest.

A second nest in the St. Ignace area was destroyed by a predator before the eggs were at a stage where they could be saved, Mr. Sjogren said.

Through the plover program network, the young birds rescued from the abandoned nest at Brevort River were given a new home. They were taken to Platte Point Beach in the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, where they were released among a group of chicks of approximately the same age, increasing their chance for survival.

Using the same network, a group of five chicks that had been raised from eggs recovered at North Manitou Island were brought to the St. Ignace nesting area and released among wild chicks here.

Volunteers with the program seek to protect the birds from predators and human activity, notably unleashed domestic dogs. They help with fencing, signs, surveillance, and educating the public that frequent the nesting area.

"The goal is recovery [of the Piping Plover], and monitoring is a big part of that," Mr. Sjogren explained. "Once people know about the program, they are very accepting."

Helping the public accept the effort, the Hiawatha National Forest was able to leave a strip of beach open between nesting areas close to the mouth of Brevort River, he said. Had the plovers nested closer to the lake, however, that area of the beach would have been closed, too.

All areas where plovers were monitored are west of St. Ignace. While the Hiawatha keeps watch on suitable habitat sites at Round Island and along Lake Superior, no birds have been found at those locations.

The Forest Service began counting and monitoring the plovers in early May, when they migrated to the shoreline. The volunteers helped in June and July, logging in a total of 58 hours.

Piping plovers are an endangered species, so the birds were kept under extremely tight scrutiny. Once they built nests, all were trapped and banded, helping the group track their movements. This is no easy task, Mr. Sjogren explained. For example, once a nesting adult is taken by predator, its nest is no longer viable, so its mate moves elsewhere in the area, and the group has to track where it goes.

Once the chicks hatched, they, too, were banded.

The volunteers were like ambassadors, Mr. Sjogren said. They took time at the beach to talk to people about the project, distribute informational pamphlets, and discuss dangers to plovers, especially dogs, which are a real problem, since plovers nest on the ground.

To prevent damage from dogs and other mammals, the group placed meshing (accessible by plovers) around the nests as soon nests were built.

Areas around the nests were sectioned off with twine perimeters, and volunteers put up warning signs. Anyone entering the enclosures could have been ticketed, Mr. Sjogren said, but the Forest Service has never had to write a ticket.

Once eggs were laid, larger enclosures around the nests were built. Owing to the sensitivity of the birds, the enclosures had to be built within 15 minutes. The Forest Service had to walk a fine line between protecting the eggs and scaring the adults. Overly frightened birds will abandon the nests, he said.

Nests near Brevort River were well known and protected, so the Forest Service set up spotting scopes for the public to get a look at the rare species.

Next year, the forest service will consider limited predator control, which could reduce or eliminate specific predators seen preying on plovers, like coyote, skunk, fox, Merlin (pigeon hawk), or crow.

Predator control is tricky, however, he said, because predators are also part of the ecosystem.

This year was the first time the Eastern Unit of the Hiawatha National Forest recruited volunteers in its efforts to save the species, and the project paid off, Mr. Sjogren said.

The group that monitored and protected the plovers included members of the Straits Area Watershed Council, seasonal employee and wildlife technician Lisa Sommers, who was paid by The Nature Conservancy, and volunteer coordinator Amber Meyers. Volunteers included Kim and Vince Hagen, Ray Baron, Jeff Lange, Jennifer Powell, and Evelyn Mehan.

Ms. Mehan lives near the nesting area, worked on several aspects of the project, and contributed the most volunteer hours, Mr. Sjogren noted.

The program will start up again next spring, and the Forest Service will seek more volunteers, both for plover protection and the removal of invasive plant species in the area that alter the habitat and reduce the piping plover's chances for local survival.

To get involved, contact Steve Sjogren at 643-7900, extension 134, or ssjogren@fs.fed.us.