On a grey January day in 2025, miles out in Huntington Seaside State Park, I noticed the acquainted face of a Piping Plover—a tiny, endangered shorebird that spends the winter on South Carolina’s coast. However this one was outfitted with a sequence of small bands on her legs. The place did she come from? How outdated was she? The bands would have the ability to inform me all that and extra.
As Audubon’s coastal stewardship coordinator, I spend my winter days surveying shorebirds on the coast. Discovering a banded fowl isn’t frequent. Discovering a banded Piping Plover is much more uncommon. However this fowl would show to be exceptionally uncommon.
It seems, I had noticed a Piping Plover from the endangered Nice Lakes inhabitants, which stands at solely 90 pairs. She was raised in captivity in 2024 after her egg was washed from her nest in a storm, and my sighting proved she had accomplished her first migration. Earlier than releasing her, biologists outfitted her with coloration bands to maintain tabs on her actions.
Following Darla to Her Nesting Grounds
Quick ahead to the spring of 2025. This tiny shorebird flew almost 1,000 miles from South Carolina to Darlington Provincial Park, Ontario, the place she fledged a chick below the watchful eye of Birds Canada and Darlington Park employees and volunteers and was given the identify “Darla.” That fall, I used to be comfortable to see her return to South Carolina for one more winter.
Because the spring of 2026 approached, I was planning a visit to Toronto to see Elton John in live performance after I remembered I’d solely be an hour from Darla’s summer time residence. What have been the possibilities I may go to Darla on her nesting grounds?
I reached out to the Birds Canada Piping Plover group—they have been simply as excited as I used to be about this risk, however equally apprehensive. Darla had not but returned. She may have chosen a unique seaside, or worse, not made it by the journey north.
I boarded the airplane in dismay, starting Darla’s annual migration—South Carolina to Ontario. I used to be going by industrial airplane, travelling at 500 mph. Darla can be making this similar journey powered solely by her personal two wings and a winter fats retailer.
When the airplane touched right down to the early spring panorama of Canada, my telephone pinged with an replace from the Birds Canada group; Darla had arrived in Ontario! We had flown in on the precise similar day.
The morning after the live performance, I joined Birds Canada Ontario Piping Plover Subject Biologist JulieAnn Prentice to seek out Darla. We had by no means met earlier than, we got here from totally different nations and labored for various organizations, however we had one tiny fowl in frequent.
Sharing the Shore Throughout Borders
It was chilly and blustery; would Darla even be out the place we may see her? A kilometer of strolling and a short scan later, there she was, camouflaged amongst gray pebbles. A full circle second, from South Carolina to Ontario!
As Julie and I walked, we mentioned the totally different conservation methods used to mitigate threats between our two areas. Because it seems, the Nice Lakes and South Carolina face lots of the similar challenges in relation to Piping Plover conservation; excessive climate, habitat loss, pure predators, and human disturbance.
As a result of we share these threats, our messaging to the general public is similar; give shorebirds area to relaxation and forage, maintain pets leashed and off the seaside, and don’t litter or feed wildlife. Regardless of the place you’re, following these tips offers shorebirds like Piping Plovers a serving to hand.
I went residence feeling optimistic that Darla would have a profitable nest this 12 months and a protected flight again to South Carolina on the finish of the summer time. On the time of publication, she had efficiently raised 4 chicks to fledge along with her mate Bowie and begun her journey south, a lot to the enjoyment of the native volunteers and employees who dedicate their time to defending her. Will I see her once more, gracing our South Carolina shores? Solely time will inform.
An orange plastic band or flag signifies a Piping Plover is from the Nice Lakes Area; you can report sightings on the wintering grounds to plover@umn.edu; reviews inform analysis and conservation efforts for this small inhabitants.
