Ontbirds subscribers, For the second year in a row we have a pair of Piping Plovers nesting at Darlington Provincial Park. The male is the same male that nested at Darlington last year and was born at Wasaga in 2015. The female is a first year breeder hatched from Presqu'ile last year. Recently, a third bird has joined the pair and has been reported to be aiding with incubation. The eggs are expected to hatch July 16th give or take a day. The plovers at Darlington have had a rough time this year given the high water levels and heavy rains this spring and summer. This is the 4th nesting attempt from 3 different pairs at Darlington this year so we are really pulling for a successful hatch and fledge from this nest.
That being said, we are looking for volunteers to be a part of the plover guardian stewardship program. The guardian program is used to supplement the conservation efforts to protect this endangered bird by monitoring the nest and the chicks to ensure a successful fledge as well as promote education and awareness to the general public. We will be holding two orientation sessions this Saturday July 15th at Darlington Provincial Park at 3pm and 7pm. A presentation will be given about Piping Plover conservation, population trends and the guardian program. Those interested in attending the orientation session and volunteering their time should contact me ([email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>) with your name and the time you prefer so I have an approximate idea of how many people to expect for each orientation session. For those certain to volunteer I encourage you to fill in the calendar spreadsheet with your name, day(s), and time(s) you are available as soon as possible (see link below). I encourage multiple people on the same shift but please limit to 3 people per shift. If you are unfamiliar with the calendar you can email me with your name and available dates and times and I'll be more than happy to fill the information for you. The spreadsheet calendar can be found at the following link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gQxpKVWROSLZ_5C5OXP-VAhZ6RntSAWoKrwFV99owk4/edit#gid=0 Darlington Provincial Park can be accessed by exiting Hwy 401 at exit 425 (Courtice Road) and taking Courtice Road south to the first right turn (west) onto Darlington Park Road where you can follow the signs to the provincial park entrance gate. Please note and take into consideration when travelling to Darlington they are doing construction at the Courtice Rd exit this year and have been closing off exits and on-ramps. Once you`ve arrived at the gate, mention you are there for the Piping Plover orientation session and you will be granted a temporary pass by the gate attendant. Upon entrance to the park, follow the main road past the park office and make your first right, the park store will be on your left. Continue down this road for about 1km and make a left into the maintenance shed area where there will be employee only signs and a cabin on the right hand side. Thank you very much and I look forward to meeting all those interested and I especially look forward to another successful year of Piping Plover fledging from Darlington! Ian Fife Ontario Parks Piping Plover biologist _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
