Story of resilience continues with annual return of piping plover to Waukegan
He arrived a bit early but those who keep an eye out for cute federally endangered shorebirds in Lake County are ecstatic with the annual return of the first piping plover.
“I knew it was about time,” said Brad Semel, species recovery specialist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ northern region. He got a clue Saturday while scouting the restricted beach in Waukegan, where a pair of plovers have returned the past two years.
“The wind was howling and the fog was thick but I saw the tracks in the sand,” he said.
Conditions didn't allow for visual confirmation so Semel returned Sunday and was greeted by Pepper, the male of the pair.
The spirited traveler survived another arduous journey from his winter home near Fort Myers, Florida, but is solo for the time being.
Last year, Pepper and his mate, Blaze, who winters about 750 miles away near Wilmington, North Carolina, arrived separately May 6 within a few feet of their 2025 nesting spot.
Semel, Carolyn Lueck, president of the Lake County Audubon Society, and volunteers with Sharing Our Shore — Waukegan are on alert with fingers crossed waiting for Blaze.
They're also on the lookout for two male and two female piping plovers nurtured in captivity and released last summer.
Pepper and Blaze are one of about 88 nesting pairs of Great Lakes piping plovers. The little bird known for its antics and plaintive-sounding whistle disappeared from Illinois beaches in the mid-1950s but is making a slow comeback.
“This is a success story for our entire community,” Lueck said. “Each return is a reminder of both the resilience of these birds and the responsibility we share to protect the habitat they depend on.”
The piping plovers nest on a section of beach not open to the public due to site restrictions and is closely monitored to ensure their safety in coordination with state and federal agencies.
The plovers remarkable journey also has drawn attention to Lake Plain, a rare and important habitat and key stopover for shorebirds migrating to and from breeding grounds farther north, Lueck noted.
“It is part of a much larger story of migration and underscores the ecological importance of this shoreline for birds traveling through the region,” she added.
Chicago, too, has seen the return of piping plovers to Montrose Beach.
Sharing Our Shore is a seven-year partnership between the Lake County Audubon Society and city of Waukegan focused on protecting lakefront habitat, supporting endangered species recovery and engaging the community through education and outreach, Lueck said.
“The return of the piping plovers to Waukegan is a powerful testament to what we can achieve through environmental stewardship,” Mayor Sam Cunningham said in an Audubon announcement regarding the piping plovers.