2021 — Public Updates — Chicago Piping Plovers

Friday the 13th Update with a 14th Addendum

Imani hangs out at the Dog Beach. Siewka demonstrates raptor avoidance skills. And Monty departs.

Tamima ItaniAugust 14, 20212021

The 2021 Season: some tears and a whole lot of love

This has been a season of challenges for Monty and Rose. Imani and Siewka make it all worthwhile.

Tamima ItaniAugust 9, 20212021

Meet Imani and Siewka

Monty and Rose’s chicks hatched in 2021 were named during a live event at Montrose on July 330, 2021.

Tamima ItaniJuly 31, 20212021

Rose Moves On (but then returns), and 2 Chicks Remain with Monty

In the past few days there has been a lot of changes with the Montrose plover family, some expected, and some that we were hoping to avoid.

Judy CheskeJuly 29, 20212021

2021 Plover Chick Naming Ceremony

It’s time! On Friday, July 30 at 5pm, the public is invited to tune in to Facebook live and celebrate the name reveal of the two endangered piping plover chicks that hatched and were successfully raised on Montrose Beach this summer.

Names for the chicks were solicited from Chicagoland residents and then selected from the submissions by a committee, with the goal of representing Chicago’s diversity.

Judy CheskeJuly 28, 20212021

The Montrose Piping Plover Chicks Banded 7/20/21

Today, a team of biologists from the Great Lakes Piping Plover Conservation Team (GLPIPL) placed color bands on the four piping plover chicks at Montrose Beach Dunes. The color bands will identify the birds as Great Lakes Piping Plovers and as Monty and Rose’s Montrose chicks.

Guest UserJuly 20, 20212021

Lucky Seven: The plover chicks’ Uncle GluG drops in!

A new adult Piping Plover appears at Montrose for a total of seven endangered Great Lakes Piping Plovers at Chicago beach in another win for habitat restoration and conservation.

Ann GunkelJuly 14, 20212021

Against all odds, a fourth chick hatches

When the fourth egg in Rose and Monty’s 2021 second clutch does not hatch and the parents cease incubation, the decision is made to take it to the Lincoln Park Zoo and incubate it there. What happens next is the most heart-warming story.

Tamima ItaniJuly 12, 20212021

Piping Plover Chick Hatches at Lincoln Park Zoo, Reintroduced to Monty and Rose at Montrose Beach

The Lincoln Park Zoo releases 4th chick to the care of Monty and Rose

Tamima ItaniJuly 10, 20212021

They're here, they're here! Welcome 2021 Piping Plover chicks!

On behalf of Chicago’s beloved Monty and Rose, we are proud to announce the hatching of their 2021 chicks. Just before 2:00 pm on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, a tiny fuzzy chick was glimpsed in the nest, confirmed again minutes later. At 3:15 pm, Rose carried an eggshell fragment away from the nest, thus announcing the arrival of a second chick.

Tamima ItaniJuly 8, 20212021

Volunteer Appreciation

The Chicago Piping Plovers rely on volunteers to monitor and protect our vulnerable and endangered visitors.

Judy CheskeJune 24, 20212021

Four Eggs on the Nest

The surveillance camera has revealed 4 eggs on Rose and Monty's second nest. What a champ our Rose is!

This means that incubation has started. Monty and Rose will stay on the nest continuously now, until (we hope) the chicks are hatched.

Judy CheskeJune 18, 20212021

Beacons of Hope

We personally find it incredible that these birds come back to Montrose Beach of all places. When we first heard that Monty and Rose were back at Montrose this year, a smile lit up on our faces. The true beauty of these birds and how, year after year, they come back to the same place to breed.

Simon and Peter TolzmannJune 10, 20212021

A second chance

Rose and Monty’s story is one of strong resilience and persistence. Only six and a half days after suffering a blow at the paws of an opportunistic skunk, they have established a new nest and Rose has laid an egg.

Guest UserJune 9, 20212021

A sorrowful start to the day

Last night, a Skunk was sadly able to access the eggs from outside the exclosure and destroy Monty and Rose’s nest. They are resillient however, and have began courting and scraping again, showing us they will not give up.

Tamima ItaniJune 3, 20212021